Situação clínico – epidemiológica da infestação por ectoparasitos em felinos domésticos procedentes da cidade de João Pessoa – PB

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the clinical-epidemiological situation of the infestation by ectoparasites in domestic felines from João Pessoa city, in the state of Paraiba. Four-hundred and thirty two felines, with no distinction for breed or sex and with different ages, were examined for the presence of external parsites, being 265 domesticated felines from Veterinary Clinics ambulatory routine, Commercial Raising Establishments and domestic collection, in the time period from August 2005 to July 2006; and 167 non-domesticated felines from the Zoonosis Control Center of João Pessoa city (CCZ/JP), that were collected in the time period from October 2005 to July 2006. For the analysis the SAS (StatisticalAnalysis System) software was used, inferential and descriptive statistical techniques were applied, to the significance level of 5% statistics. Considering the total sample, 271 animals were positive for external parasites infestation, being 62.7% the frequency in the studied sample, thus constituting the present study the first contribution to the knowledge of domesticated felines external parasites in the city of João Pessoa – PB. Six species of external parasites were identified on the domesticated and non-domesticated felines, with detected infestation by one or more parasites. The most frequent external parasite species was Ctenocephalides felis (27.3%), followed by Lynxacarus radovskyi (26.2%), Otodectes cynotis (17.4%), Felicola subrostratus (9.7%), Notoedres cati (2.1%) and Rhipicephalussanguineus (1.6%). An association between the infestation by external parasites and domestication, or non-domestication, of the animals was observed, with the existence of a significantly inferior percentage for domesticated animals in comparison to the one obtained for the non-domesticated. The only species of flea found was Ctenocephades felis. No significative difference between the presence offleas and the sex, age, breed, fur color, and fur size parameters was found. The most expressive clinical signs of infestation by fleas were not shiny fur 33.1% (39/118), alopecia 23.7% (28/118), stiff fur 16.9% (20/118) and itching 13.6% (16/118). By evaluating the nutritional condition, greater flea infestation positiveness was observed in animals that were underfed, that condition was statistically significant when the nutritional condition between the studied groups was compared. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the ectoparasitosis constitute important nosological entities in domesticated felines of João Pessoa city, in the state of Paraiba, caused mainly by Ctenocephalides felis and Lynxacarus radovskyi, being the domestication and the nutritional state of the animals the most influent epidemiological factors.