Abstract
Canine demodicosis caused by ectoparasitic mites in the genus Demodex is a major and common ectoparasitic disease of dogs. However, little is known of the prevalence ofDemodex infection in pet dogs in China. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Demodex infection in pet dogs in Guangzhou, Southern China. A total of 3977 pet dogs admitted to several animal hospitals in Guangzhou City were investigated for Demodex infection from January to December 2009. The result showed that 977 (24.57%) dogs were positive for dermatosis and 130 (13.31%) of the dermopathic dogs were positive for Demodex infection. No significant association was found betweenDemodex prevalence and season, age, and gender of pet dogs. Seasonal prevalence showed that the highest and lowest were in March (4.15%) and December (1.39%), respectively. The prevalence in male dogs (3.67%) was higher than that in female dogs (2.74%). Dogs of 1 to 5 year old were more commonly infected than other age groups. The present investigation revealed the prevalence of Demodex infection in pet dogs in China’s subtropical Guangzhou City, which accounts for 13.31% of canine dermatosis cases. These results have important implications for conducting control strategies and measures against canine demodicosis in this region. Key words: Prevalence, Demodex infection, pet dog, Southern China.
Highlights
The present investigation revealed the prevalence of Demodex infection in pet dogs in China’s subtropical Guangzhou City, which accounts for 13.31% of canine dermatosis cases
Of 3977 pet dogs examined, 977 (24.57%) dogs were observed to be positive for dermatosis, while Demodex infection was recorded in 130 (13.31%) of the dermopathic dogs (Table 1)
The monthly prevalence of Demodex infection in dogs is shown in Table 1 with the highest prevalence of 4.15% recorded in March 2009 and the lowest prevalence of 1.39% in December 2009, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of infection in different months (P> 0.05)
Summary
Demodicosis is one of the important skin diseases caused by ectoparasitic mites of the genus Demodex (family Demodecidae) (Jekl et al, 2006; Aşkin and Seçkin, 2010; Gakuya et al, 2011) that inhabit the hair follicle and glandulae sebaceae of humans (Fernandez-Flores and Alija, 2009; Klemm et al, 2009), pets (Alvarez et al, 2007; Saari et al, 2009), domestic livestocks (Chanie et al, 2010; Mulugeta et al, 2010), and wild animals (Fryderyk and Izdebska, 2001; Wolhuter et al, 2009). Dogs are the most preferred pet animal in the world. They harbour a number of helminths and mites, which can result in significant health problems as well as financial losses globally (Morsy et al, 1995; Eguía-Aguilar et al, 2005; Sager et al, 2006; Rani et al, 2011).
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