| Popis: |
Felicola subrostratus has been described as a specific ectoparasite of cats, but infestation is unusual. This manuscript reports the first occurrence of chewing lice (Felicola subrostratus) parasitizing domestic cats from São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. All animals were young adults (one purebred, Persian female; two crossbred, Persian females; three crossbred, Persian males; and one male, breed unknown) that had black fur, were from the same house, and had access to the street. During examination, the ectoparasites were found, collected, and fixed in ethanol (70º GL). In the laboratory they were mounted on slides and identified. The animals were monitored for one month without any treatment in order to observe the evolution of skin disease. Within this time, all male cats had extensive areas of alopecia and brittle hair. For the females, only the purebred Persian had small areas of alopecia. After this period, the cats were treated with amitraz (in baths at a concentration of 5:1000), which resulted in no improvement. The cats were then treated with fipronil (0.25 g/100 mL), which stopped the infestation after one application. Six months after the treatment, the pelage returned to normal. This report is the first diagnosis of Felicola subrostratus for the state of Maranhão, Brazil. |
