Seasonal and age dynamics of infection of cats with ectoparasites in the Moscow metropolis

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study the epizootic situation of ectoparasitosis of cats in the Moscow metropolis, taking into account the season and the age of the animals.

Materials and methods. The study of the seasonal and age dynamics of infection of cats with ectoparasites in the Moscow metropolis was carried out on the basis of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (VNIIP), a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution FSC VIEV RAS, as well as the veterinary clinic GLOBALVET CLINIC LLC (Moscow) in 2020–2022. We examined 85 cats in different seasons. When examining the animals, attention was paid to damage to the skin and hair. At the same time, the gender, age, condition of the skin and hair of the animals were taken into account; the ears were examined and the hair was combed using a magnifying glass; Microscopic examination of the ear contents, as well as scrapings of the superficial and deep layers of the skin. The number of ectoparasites was determined according to the method of M. V. Arisov, I. A. Arkhipov (2018). The results obtained were processed statistically using Microsoft Excel.

Results and discussion. Infection of cats with Demodex cati was maximum in Spring and Summer (5.9%), and decreased to 3.5% in Autumn and Winter. Ixodes ricinus mites were found on the skin and hair of cats (15%) only in the warm season. We noted an increase in the infection of cats with Otodectes cynotis and Notoedres cati in Spring and Summer. The seasonal dynamics of infection of cats by insects of different species differed. Fleas were found in 4.7% of cats in Winter, and in 8.5 and 10.6% of cats in Spring and Summer, respectively. The infection of cats with lice eaters was low.