Fluralaner as a single dose oral treatment for Caparinia tripilis in a pygmy African hedgehog

Ectoparasites of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Germany and their health impact

BACKGROUND

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is known for high levels of ectoparasitism that not only represents a health risk for the animals themselves, but also for pet animals and humans as hedgehogs are frequently taken into human care. In the present study, patterns of ectoparasite infestation were assessed in hedgehogs taken into care at northern German animal rehabilitation centres.

METHODS

Ectoparasites (ticks, fleas and mites) of 498 hedgehogs were collected over a period of 3 years from July 2018 to May 2021. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics and also via amplification and sequencing of the partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (COX-2) gene for fleas of the family Ceratophyllidae. Seasonal changes in infestation patterns as well as correlations with animal age, body weight and health status were assessed using generalised linear models.

RESULTS

Infestation with ticks, fleas and mites occurred throughout the year. Overall, 86.5% (431/498) of the examined hedgehogs were infested with ticks, 91.4% (455/498) with fleas and 17.7% (88/498) with mites. Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes hexagonus/Ixodes canisuga were the most common tick species detected, with the additional occurrence of one Ixodes frontalis. Significant seasonal changes were observed for I. ricinus, but not for I. hexagonus/I. canisuga. Additionally, I. ricinus nymph prevalence declined significantly as of 2020, probably as a consequence of the climate change-related drought as of 2018. In hedgehogs with flea infestations, Archaeopsylla erinacei, Ceratophyllus sciurorum, Nosopsyllus fasciatus and Ctenocephalides felis were identified. In all cases of mite infestation, Caparinia tripilis was detected, in addition to specimens of the family Macronyssidae and free-living mites of the family Acaridae. Statistical analyses showed correlations regarding the factors month, year, body weight and age, but no correlation was evident regarding the health status of the animals.

CONCLUSIONS

With a detected infestation rate of 98.6%, almost all of the examined hedgehogs were infested with at least one ectoparasite species. The seasonal activity patterns of the different ectoparasite species together with the complex annual cycle of hedgehogs lead to different seasonal patterns in ectoparasite prevalence and infestation intensities. Due to the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens as well as the possible negative impact on the host itself, hedgehogs should be treated against ectoparasites when taken into care facilities.

Dermatologic Diseases of Four-Toed Hedgehogs

Dermatologic diseases are frequently diagnosed in the four-toed hedgehog. Common clinical signs include spine loss, scales and crusts, pruritus, alopecia, and masses. Caparinia tripilis, family Psoroptidae, is the most common mite affecting hedgehogs, and is diagnosed via light microscopy. Dermatophytosis from Trichophyton erinacei infection is a common zoonotic dermatologic disease in pet hedgehogs. Diagnosis is through fungal culture. Neoplasia is another major cause of dermatologic diseases in four-toed hedgehogs. The diagnostic approach typically begins with a fine-needle aspirate but often requires a biopsy for a definitive diagnosis.

A rapid evidence assessment of the potential risk to the environment presented by active ingredients in the UK's most commonly sold companion animal parasiticides

A number of parasiticides are commercially available as companion animal treatments to protect against parasite infestation and are sold in large volumes. These treatments are not intended to enter the wider environment but may be washed off or excreted by treated animals and have ecotoxic impacts. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the existing evidence for the toxicity of the six most used parasiticides in the UK: imidacloprid, fipronil, fluralaner, afoxolaner, selamectin, and flumethrin. A total of 17,207 published articles were screened, with 690 included in the final evidence synthesis. All parasiticides displayed higher toxicity towards invertebrates than vertebrates, enabling their use as companion animal treatments. Extensive evidence exists of ecotoxicity for imidacloprid and fipronil, but this focuses on exposure via agricultural use and is not representative of environmental exposure that results from use in companion animal treatments, especially in urban greenspace. Little to no evidence exists for the ecotoxicity of the remaining parasiticides. Despite heavy usage, there is currently insufficient evidence to understand the environmental risk posed by these veterinary treatments and further studies are urgently needed to quantify the levels and characterise the routes of environmental exposure, as well as identifying any resulting environmental harm.

Effectiveness of lotilaner against ticks of the genus Amblyomma spp. in three naturally infested cane toads (Rhinella horribilis)

The efficacy of lotilaner was evaluated in three tick-infested cane toads. A single oral administration of lotilaner eliminated all ticks from all three toads from Day (D)1. Environmental samples collected from toad enclosures were negative for ticks until D30.

A clinical retrospective study of Caparinia tripilis (Psoroptidae) mite dermatitis in pet African pygmy hedgehogs (Ateletrix albiventris) in southern Italy

BACKGROUND

Caparinia tripilis is a common ectoparasitic mite affecting African pygmy hedgehogs, and is associated with pruritus and self-trauma. There have been no published surveys on the prevalence of such mites in pet African pygmy hedgehogs in Italy.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence and clinical signs of C. tripilis infestation in African pygmy hedgehogs.

ANIMALS

Clinical records of hedgehogs examined between December 2017 and December 2020 were searched retrospectively.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The prevalence of C. tripilis infestation was evaluated and exposure variables were assessed using stepwise conditional logistic regression and odds ratios (OR) were calculated.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of C. tripilis was 39.5% (81 of 205) in client-owned and 81.5% (66 of 81) in pet shop-housed affected hedgehogs. Fifty-two hedgehogs (64.2%) showed clinical signs of pruritus, scales, erythema, spine loss, crusting, alopecia and lichenification, while 29 infested hedgehogs (35.8%) were asymptomatic. The head was the most frequently affected area in 30 of 81 (37%) animals. In a multivariable analysis, affected hedgehogs were significantly younger [OR 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.1-0.73; P = 0.0097] and more likely to be from a pet shop (OR 2.1, 95%CI 1-4.4; P = 0.04) than unaffected hedgehogs.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

The results of this study indicate a prevalence rate of C. tripilis infestation that is consistent with trends observed in other studies. African pygmy hedgehogs, especially younger animals and those originating from a pet shop, should always be evaluated for C. tripilis.

Current review of isoxazoline ectoparasiticides used in veterinary medicine

The isoxazolines are a novel class of ectoparasiticides with potent inhibitory activity on glutamate- and gamma-aminobutyric acid-gated chloride channel located in nervous system of invertebrates. In recent years, studies have been performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of isoxazolines against various types of ectoparasites, including fleas, ticks, and mites. As more single and combined isoxazoline products have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, a more comprehensive understanding of isoxazolines becomes essential for veterinary clinical practitioners. This article provides a complete review of isoxazolines with respect to pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, ectoparasiticidal efficacy, and safety, which will provide veterinarians information to allow them to make the best choice of ectoparasiticide for their clients' specific needs.

Selected Emerging Diseases of Pet Hedgehogs

Pet hedgehog medicine and surgery is a rapidly evolving field, with some novel conditions and re-emerging diseases being reported in the literature in recent years. Skin disease and neoplasia are commonly found in African pygmy hedgehogs worldwide. Selected new and emerging diseases occurring in these commonly reported groups are discussed in greater detail, focusing on Caparinia tripilis infestation and brain tumors. This article primarily discusses African pygmy hedgehogs, with some reference to European free-living hedgehogs.

Cox1 barcoding versus multilocus species delimitation: validation of two mite species with contrasting effective population sizes

BACKGROUND

The cox1-barcoding approach is currently extensively used for high-throughput species delimitation and discovery. However, this method has several limitations, particularly when organisms have large effective population sizes. Paradoxically, most common, abundant, and widely distributed species may be misclassified by this technique.

RESULTS

We conducted species delimitation analyses for two host-specific lineages of scab mites of the genus Caparinia, having small population sizes. Cox1 divergence between these lineages was high (7.4-7.8%) while that of nuclear genes was low (0.06-0.53%). This system was contrasted with the medically important American house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, a globally distributed species with very large population size. This species has two distinct, sympatric cox1 lineages with 4.2% divergence. We tested several species delimitation algorithms PTP, GMYC, ABGD, BPP, STACEY and PHRAPL, which inferred different species boundaries for these entities. Notably, STACEY recovered the Caparinia lineages as two species and D. farinae as a single species. BPP agreed with these results when the prior on ancestral effective population sizes was set to expected values, although delimitation of Caparinia was still equivocal. No other cox1 species delimitation algorithms inferred D. farinae as a single species, despite the fact that the nuclear CPW2 gene shows some evidence for introgression between the cox1 groups. This indicates that the cox1-barcoding approach may result in excessive species splitting.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research highlights the importance of using nuclear genes and demographic characteristics to infer species boundaries rather than relying on a single-gene barcoding approach, particularly for putative species having large effective population sizes.

The dermatitis by Caparinia tripilis and Microsporum , in african pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) in Romania – first report

Abstract Investigations were conducted on a case of generalized dermatitis in an African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), purchased as a pet. Clinical examination revealed restlessness, agitation, itching and scratching, large alopecic areas, skin congestion and thin whitish scabs. Five skin lesions were scraped and the samples were collected for laboratory tests. Microscopy revealed the presence of the mite Caparinia tripilis (Acari: Psoroptidae). A dermatophyte belonging to Microsporum genus was also isolated by culture on specific media. Selamectin spot-on and enilconazole washes were used for treatment, resulting in skin healing and spines growing. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Caparinia tripilis dermatitis in a hedgehog in Romania.