Prevalence and clinical aspects of Otodectes cynotis infestation in dogs and cats in the Semi-arid region of Paraíba, Brazil
Silva, Juliana Trajano daFerreira, Larissa ClaudinoFernandes, Mikaelly MangueiraSousa, Larissa do NascimentoFeitosa, Thais FerreiraBraga, Fabio RibeiroBrasil, Arthur William de LimaVilela, Vinícius Longo Ribeiro
Background: Infestation by Otodectes cynotis is one of the main causes of external otitis in small animals, causing greatdisconfort and predisposition to secondary bacterial or fungal infections, with relevant importance in the small animalmedicine. In dogs, a small number of this parasite in the ears may cause inflammation, while in cats, otoacariasis accountsfor half of the external otitis cases. Due to the insufficiency of data about the prevalence of this disease in the Northeastregion of Brazil, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical aspects of O. cynotis in dogsand cats from the Semi-arid region of Paraíba, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: The research was conducted in the municipality of Sousa, Paraíba State, Brazil. A total of102 dogs and 152 cats had their external ear canals examined by bilateral otoscopy, using an otoscope with a veterinarycone that allows inspection of the external ear canal. Parasitological swabs were also used to determine the prevalence ofparasitism by Otodectes cynotis. Samples collected in swabs were stored in a 70% alcohol preservative solution and sentto the Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, in wich were examinated on direct research, using microscopes in the 10xobjective (magnification of 100x). In all animals, clinical examinations were performed and their owners answered anepidemiological questionnaire to collect information about food and sanitary management. During the clinical examination,characteristics such as otopodal reflex, and the presence of pruritus and/or cerumen were also evaluated. The prevalence ofdogs and cats positive for O. cynotis was 33.3% (34/102) and 52.6% (80/152), respectively. Bilateral infestations occurredin 52.9% (18/34) of the positive dogs. Most of the positive animals showed evidence of the mite in both tests, Otoscopy +Swab [dogs: 58.8% (20/34) and cats: 66.2% (53/80)].Discussion: A high prevalence of...(AU)
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