PLASMO®VET as an Antifungal. A new Approach in Veterinary Medicine.

Fungal skin infections are among the most common infectious skin diseases in horses and other animals. They are contagious, often protracted to treat and can have considerable economic and hygienic consequences. Conventional antifungals are effective, but they come with limitations such as long treatment periods, the development of resistance or residue issues.

PLASMO®VET is a veterinary medical device based on Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol (CAP-A) that pursues a physical therapeutic approach using both cold plasma and aerosol. A recent scientific case report provides the first clinical evidence that Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol can also be used successfully in dermatophytosis – entirely without conventional antifungals.

What is dermatophytosis and what is Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol?

Dermatophytoses ("ringworm") are superficial fungal infections of the skin, the hair and, in some cases, the claws or hooves. They are predominantly caused by dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum. The disease occurs in numerous animal species and is highly significant because it can be transmitted to humans (zoonosis). In horse populations in particular, dermatophytoses can spread on a regular basis.

Typical symptoms include:

• Circular hairless areas of skin
• Scaling
• Crusts
• Itching
• Inflammation of the skin

Cold plasma (Cold Atmospheric Plasma, CAP) is a partially ionised gas at room temperature. Among other things, it contains Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), electric fields and UV components at very low intensity. PLASMO®VET does not generate these physical active components as a plasma jet. In a first step it generates cold plasma, and in a second step it combines cold plasma and aerosol: Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol (CAP-A). This is created when the ROS from the plasma condition a fine aerosol. The fusion also reaches irregular or hard-to-access skin surfaces and wets them evenly. Because the mechanism of action is physical in nature and is not based on a single molecular target, current scientific understanding indicates that there is no risk of conventional resistance developing in bacteria or fungi. Because Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol uses several mechanisms of action simultaneously, such as the detachment and displacement effect as well as reactive species, the method differs from conventional plasma procedures and from pharmacological antifungals.

Efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol.

The most important clinical evidence to date comes from a case report published in 2025 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. It describes a horse with extensive, chronic dermatophytosis. The animal was treated exclusively with PLASMO®VET; no additional antifungal medication was given. A marked clinical improvement was apparent after the very first applications. By the end of the treatment,

• the skin lesions had healed completely, 
• hair growth had been restored and
• no side effects had been documented.

The authors also describe a normalisation of various inflammatory parameters as well as indications of regeneration of the skin barrier. [1]

It is important to place this study in its proper scientific context. It is a single clinical case, a case report. Studies of this kind demonstrate the feasibility and the potential of a new therapeutic approach, but they are not conclusive. The antifungal effect is, however, supported by numerous laboratory and review studies. These show, among other things, the inactivation of various dermatophytes, damage to cell membranes and cell walls caused by Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species, oxidative changes to proteins and nucleic acids, and efficacy against moulds and mycotoxin-producing species. [2] [3]

Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol as a replacement for antifungal drugs.

Cold plasma aerosol represents an innovative physical therapeutic approach to treating skin diseases in veterinary medicine. The first published clinical application in a case of equine dermatophytosis shows that PLASMO®VET has the potential to treat fungal infections successfully without the use of conventional antifungals. At the same time, scientific context is important. The current evidence is based on preclinical investigations and initial exploratory clinical results in the veterinary field. Nevertheless, the findings to date suggest that cold plasma aerosol will become an important building block of modern veterinary medicine in the future, particularly wherever a residue-free, gentle and physical treatment is desired.

The intended purpose and application of a specific product are determined by its approval. Human and veterinary therapies are to be decided independently of this article, in consultation with the responsible medical professionals. This article does not constitute a healing or therapeutic claim. The effects mentioned refer to studies conducted under verified, standardised conditions. This overview page on current research into Cold Atmospheric Plasma-Aerosol (CAP-A) is provided for information purposes only and explains independent scientific findings.

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[1] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1651946/full 
Cold atmospheric plasma-aerosol treatment of equine dermatophytosis: a novel therapeutic approach. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 

[2] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1502915/full 
Application of cold atmospheric plasma for decontamination of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins – A systematic review. Frontiers in Microbiology.

[3] https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0326940
Cold atmospheric plasma improves antifungal responsiveness of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium keratoplasticum. PLOS ONE.