Occurrence of ectoparasites on dogs in rural regions of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

The present study examined occurrences of ectoparasites and identified them on dogs in rural regions in Brazil, and assessed the influence of climate on these parasites. Ectoparasites were randomly collected from 194 dogs living on farms located in Lavras (n = 92) and Nanuque (n = 102) during the dry season. During the subsequent rainy season, the same dogs in Lavras (n = 71) and Nanuque (n = 66) were resampled. During the experiment, fleas, ticks, lice and fly larvae were collected. The flea species Ctenocephalides felis was the most common ectoparasite collected from these dogs. The main tick species that infested the dogs in rural areas of Nanuque and Lavras was Amblyomma cajennense. In Lavras, the dogs had high levels of flea infestation (80.4 and 88.7% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) and low levels of tick infestation (19.6 and 28.2% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively), without any significant differences in infestation rates between the seasons. In Nanuque, moderate levels of flea infestation (68.6 and 43.9% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) and A. cajennense (65.7 and 47.0% in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively) were observed, with significantly lower prevalence in the rainy season (p < 0.05). The presence of ectoparasites was evident at both times of the year, but the different temperatures may have influenced the occurrences of parasites in Lavras and Nanuque.Keywords: Ectoparasites, tick, fleas, dog, rural regions, Brazil. ResumoO presente estudo examinou a ocorrência e identificação de ectoparasitas em cães de áreas rurais no Brasil, e a influência do clima sobre esses parasitas. Ectoparasitas foram aleatoriamente coletados de 194 cães provenientes de fazendas localizadas em Lavras (n = 92) e Nanuque (n = 102) durante o período seco. No período chuvoso subsequente, os mesmos cães de Lavras (n = 71) e Nanuque (n = 66) foram re-amostrados. Durante o experimento, pulgas, carrapatos, piolhos e larvas de diptera foram coletados. A espécie de pulga Ctenocephalides felis foi o ectoparasita mais comumente encontrado desses cães. A principal espécie de carrapato que infestava os cães nas áreas rurais de Nanuque e Lavras foi Amblyomma cajennense. Em Lavras, os cães tinham altos níveis de infestação de pulgas (80,4 e 88,7% nas estações seca e chuvosa, respectivamente) e baixos níveis de infestação por carrapatos (19,6 e 28,2% nas estações seca e chuvosa, respectivamente), não sendo observada diferença significativa nas taxas de infestação entre as estações. Em Nanuque, níveis moderados de infestação por pulgas (68,6 e 43,9% nas estações seca e chuvosa, respectivamente) e A. cajennense (65,7 e 47,0% na estação seca e chuvosa, respectivamente) foram observadas, com prevalência significativamente menor na estação chuvosa (p < 0,05). A presença de ectoparasitas foi evidente em ambas as épocas do ano, mas as diferentes temperaturas poderiam ter influenciado a ocorrência de parasitas em Lavras e Nanuque.

Dogs, cats, parasites, and humans in Brazil: opening the black box

“…fleas are also widespread in Brazil [18,35,36,38,129], but C. felis felis surpasses C. canis in distribution, the latter being reputed to be more common in regions with more temperate climates, as in the south-east and south of the country [51]. Indeed, C. felis felis has been reported in 17 states (Alagoas, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo), while C. canis has been reported in only nine (Amazonas, Bahia, Maranhão, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo) [51].…”

“…A recent study developed in south-eastern Brazil revealed high prevalence rates of flea ( C. felis felis ) and tick ( A. cajennense and R. sanguineus s.l. ) infestations during the dry and rainy seasons [35]. Another study carried out in the same region indicated that R. sanguineus s.l.…”

“…For instance, human cases of D. caninum have been described in Brazil [286-288]. Indeed, the high prevalence of D. caninum in dogs in Brazil (e.g., 45.7% in north-eastern and 36.8% in south-eastern Brazil) [32,36] is a consequence of the high prevalence of flea and lice infestations reported in different regions of the country [18,28,30,32,35] and indicates a high risk of zoonotic transmission in humans, particularly children, who live in close contact with infected animals. In the same way, cystic echinococcosis caused by E. granulosus is one of the most prevalent zoonosis in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay [289], being highly prevalent in southern Brazil, where up to 50% of the dogs may be infested [72,290].…”

EFFECT OF EL NIÑO PHENOMENON ON THE SEASONALITY OF Pulicidae (Siphonaptera) IN DOGS IN A RURAL AREA OF SOUTHERN BRAZIL

“…Ctenocephalides felis is the flea species most prevalent in dogs in Brazil and in tropical and temperate regions around the globe (COSTA-JUNIOR et al, 2012;DRYDEN;RUST, 1994). This prevalence was confirmed herein, since we found much higher prevalence of this species than the others throughout the whole period studied, with significant increase in infestations during the fall months.…”

“…As for other insects, the diversity and abundance of fleas varies significantly among geographic regions and micro-regions as well, according to climatic variations and seasonality (COSTA-JUNIOR et al, 2012). Insect population fluctuations have been associated with climate change, particularly to El Niño (DEJEAN et al, 2011).…”