PREVALENCE AND PATHOLOGY OF ARTHROPOD INFESTATION IN DOMESTIC AND STRAY CATS IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the prevalence and pathology of potential arthropods of the domestic and stray cats (Felis catus) that had not received veterinary care and had no known exposure to insecticide application and other form of medication. In doing so, 36 domestic and stray cats were taken from Mymensingh district, Bangladesh. The research work was carried out during the period of July 2006 to June 2007 in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh. In the 36 examined cats, overall 32 (88.89 %) cats had arthropod infestation. The rate of infestation was Ctenocephalides felis felis, 86% (31 out of 36), Demodex cati, 11% (4 out of 36) and Linguatula serrata, 14 % (5 out of 36). Slightly higher rate of Ct. felis felis infestation was found in kittens (90%) followed by adults (84.61%). There was similar age prevalence of D. cati and L. serrata infection in kittens and adults. Females (90%) were 2.07 times more susceptible to Ct. felis felis infestation than males (81.25%). The rate of arthropod infection did not vary greatly over seasons. But in L. serrata infection, there was higher prevalence in summer (27.27%) than rainy (11.11%) and winter (6.25%) seasons. Grossly, demodectic mange was characterized by alopecia, epidermal scaling, scab formation and denudation of the skin mostly found in the ear and the neck. The legs and the abdomen were also affected. At histopathology, sections of mite were found in the hair follicles of the skin along with folliculitis (two cases). Pneumonia was found both grossly and microscopically in lungs of five cats but it was very difficult to correlate with the presence of small number of L. serrata organisms.