Background: Demodex gatoi causes a pruritic dermatitis in cats. Diagnosis requires the demonstration of mites using superficial skin scrapings or faecal flotation, which can be insensitive.
Hypothesis/objectives: The goal of this study was to develop a molecular method to diagnose D. gatoi infection in cats and distinguish these mites from Demodex cati.
Animals: Fifty-three shelter cats, 11 cats from a closed research colony and 12 privately owned cats were used.
Methods: Demodex gatoi and D. cati were obtained from scrapings of cat skin. The 16S rRNA DNA was amplified by PCR, sequenced and compared with available Demodex sequences. Hair and skin samples were also collected for microscopic examination and DNA isolation.
Results: DNA sequences were obtained from D. gatoi and D. cati. qPCR with D. gatoi specific primers and probe amplified DNA isolated from D. gatoi and not D. cati. Conversely, D. cati qPCR primers and probe amplified D. cati DNA and not D. gatoi. Five of the shelter cats were positive for D. gatoi. Two of these cats were pruritic, and the other three were in contact with these cats. Only one cat was positive for D. gatoi on skin scraping but was negative for D. gatoi or D. cati DNA.
Conclusion: Results from this study show D. gatoi and D. cati to be distinct species. A novel qPCR test for the identification and differentiation of D. gatoi and D. cati was developed. Once optimized, this test could provide a valuable technique for the diagnosis of D. gatoi infection.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/vde.12030 | DOI Listing |
Med Vet Entomol
June 2023
Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
The Demodecidae are skin and tissue parasites of mammals with high host, topical, and topographic specificity. They may cause a demodecosis, typically observed in pets and humans. Numerous mammal species have been found to have several, specific demodecids, which inhabit different microhabitats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
November 2021
Department of Parasitology and Dermatology, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine "King Michael I of Romania" from Timisoara, no. 119, Calea Aradului, 300645 Timisoara, Romania.
Cat demodicosis is uncommon to rare, and is caused by , and another unnamed species. The investigated patient was a mix-breed, 10-year-old feline with no dermatological history. Alopecia, erythema, minor erosions and ulcerations and crusts, associated with pruritus and self-trauma, were observed on the head.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports
December 2018
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, United States. Electronic address:
Cats can be infected by various intestinal parasites, some that are zoonotic. Although surveys of parasite prevalence in owned and shelter cats have been published, none addressed free-roaming, wild-trapped, domestic cat (Felis catus) populations. An opportunity to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in wild-trapped, free-roaming cats in northcentral Oklahoma, United States occurred through a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program conducted at Oklahoma State University, Boren Veterinary Medical Hospital, between February 2015 and April 2016.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCASE DESCRIPTION A 17-year-old FIV-positive cat was evaluated because of weight loss during the preceding few months. The cat had a weight loss of 0.5 kg (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Feline Med Surg
June 2017
1 Animal Dermatology Clinic, Louisville, KY, USA.
Objectives This study compared methods of mite retrieval from community cats in the Ohio River Valley region of the USA and determined incidence of parasitic mites in this region. Methods In total, 493 community cats were humanely trapped and anesthetized for a trap-neuter-return program. Cats received a dermatologic examination, ear swabs, superficial skin scraping, flea combing, acetate tape preparation and feces collection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!