Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Demodex mite variation in an FIV-positive cat with hair loss
By Taffin, Elien R L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2016·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Morphological variability of Demodex cati in a feline immunodeficiency virus-positive cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 17-year-old cat with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was brought in due to noticeable weight loss over the past few months. The cat had bald patches on its neck and chin, along with some skin changes. Tests showed a variety of Demodex mites, which are tiny parasites that can cause skin issues, but due to the cat's weakened immune system from FIV, no treatment was given. Unfortunately, the cat passed away 14 days later. This case highlights how underlying health problems like FIV can complicate skin conditions in cats.
People also search for: cat weight loss · FIV cat care · Demodex mites treatment in cats · why is my cat losing fur · cat skin problems with FIV
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION A 17-year-old FIV-positive cat was evaluated because of weight loss during the preceding few months. The cat had a weight loss of 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) during the last month. Because of its FIV-positive status, the cat was confined indoors. CLINICAL FINDINGS A large nonpruritic area of alopecia with hyperpigmentation and comedones was present on the right lateral aspect of the neck. The chin had diffuse alopecia and comedones. Mild alopecia was present on the dorsal aspect of the muzzle. Trichography and microscopic examination of acetate tape imprint preparations and skin scrapings revealed a very morphologically heterogeneous population of Demodex mites. Micrometry of adult mites revealed a broad range of body lengths (92.68 to 245.94 μm), which suggested that as many as 3 Demodex spp might be present in the skin lesions of this cat. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Owing to its concurrent disease, no treatment was initiated for the demodicosis, and the cat died spontaneously 14 days after the evaluation. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of collected mites was performed. Analysis revealed that the 16S rRNA gene sequence of collected mites appeared 100% identical to the Demodex cati 16S rRNA gene sequence deposited in GenBank (JX193759). A similarity of 79.2% and 74.4% was found when the 16S rRNA gene sequence of collected mites was compared with that of Demodex gatoi (JX981921) and Demodex felis (KF052995), respectively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Demodicosis in cats is often associated with underlying disease. In cats, FIV infection may lead to an altered immune response and induce species polymorphism of Demodex mites.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27875092/