A Case of Concurrent Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis and Embryonal Carcinoma When Lice and Fleas Coexist.

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States with a wide range of clinical presentations depending on the infected organ systems. Most infections are asymptomatic. Coccidioidomycosis causes a primary pulmonary infection and when symptoms occur, they most often resemble community-acquired pneumonia. One percent of cases disseminate, typically via hematogenous or lymphatic spread. It is in these cases that more severe symptoms may present and potentially overlap with those characteristics of other systemic illnesses. This is a case of CM disseminated to lymph nodes in a 24-year-old man with concomitant metastatic embryonal carcinoma. It is difficult to identify the primary etiology for many components of this patient's presentation, including diffuse lymphadenopathy and multiple pulmonary nodules. Furthermore, the relationship between these 2 concurrent disease processes is not entirely clear. Factors that may contribute include the well-known phenomenon of locus minoris resistentiae (LMR) or potentially a shared immune failure between infectious organisms and malignant cells.

Feline demodicosis in Santa Catarina state, Brazil / Demodicose felina em Santa Catarina, Brasil

Feline demodicosis is considered a rare dermatopathy and can be caused by Demodex cati, Demodex gatoi and a third species not yet named. An adult male feline was attended with severe pruritus for 9 months and a history of treatment with cephalexin and prednisolone, with progressive worsening. On physical examination, there was alopecia, hyperkeratosis, abrasions and erythema on the head, neck, lumbosacral region, tail and pelvic limbs, in addition to the presence of fleas. For pulicosis, selamectin spot on was prescribed every 30 days and use of amitraz in the environment every seven days. In order to control secondary infection, weekly baths with chlorhexidine were recommended. Deep skin scraping and hair plucking were performed for trichogram and parasitological skin examination, respectively, with diagnoses of demodicosis by Demodex cati, and mycotic dermatitis associated with secondary bacterial infection. The treatment was modified to use selamectin every 2 weeks, but the tutor did not return and reported, after several months, that he had done therapy with selamectin only every 30 days and discontinued baths. For this feline, it was not possible to associate demodicosis with other comorbidities. It is believed that the generalized presentation of the disease occurred due to the pruritus caused by pulicosis.

A demodicose felina é considerada uma dermatopatia rara e pode ser causada pelos ácaros Demodex cati,Demodex gatoi e uma terceira espécie ainda não nomeada. Foi atendido um felino adulto apresentando prurido intenso há 9 meses e histórico de tratamento com cefalexina e prednisolona, com piora progressiva. Ao exame físico, havia alopecia, hiperqueratose, escoriações e eritema em cabeça, pescoço, região lombossacra, cauda e membros pélvicos, além da presença de pulgas. Para puliciose, foram prescritos selamectina spot on a cada 30 dias e uso de amitraz no ambiente a cada sete dias e, para controle da infecção secundária pelas escoriações, foram recomendados banhos semanais com clorexidine. Realizaram-se raspado de pele profundo e arrancamento de pelos para tricograma e exame parasitológico de pele, respectivamente, com diagnósticos de demodicose por Demodex cati, e dermatite micótica associada a infecção bacteriana secundária. O tratamento foi modificado para uso de selamectina a cada 2 semanas, mas tutor não retornou e informou, após vários meses, ter feito terapia com selamectina apenas a cada 30 dias e descontinuidade dos banhos. Não foi possível associar a demodicose, para este felino, a outras comorbidades e acredita-se que a apresentação generalizada da doença tenha se dado pelo prurido causado pela puliciose.

What's eating you? cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) revisited.

Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) often leave cats and dogs to bite humans, causing pruritic lesions of the lower extremities. Once flea bites are confirmed, various efforts can be made to eradicate these pests from the home or pets. Cat fleas also play a role in transmission of vector-borne diseases, especially endemic typhus.

Open field study on the efficacy of fluralaner topical solution for long-term control of flea bite allergy dermatitis in client owned cats in Ile-de-France region.

BACKGROUND: Flea bite is considered to be the main cause of allergic dermatitis in cats. There is a need for treatments able to control clinical signs of allergic dermatitis associated with flea bite in cats. This was an open pre-treatment versus post-treatment clinical field study. All cats included in the study presented pruritus, skin lesions or other evidence compatible with flea infestation. Skin lesions were assessed (using SCORFAD) at days 0, 28, 56 and 84 whereas pruritus severity was assessed (using PVAS) at days 0, 15, 28, 56 and 84. On day 0, The fluralaner (280 mg/ml) product (Bravecto® spot-on for cats) was supplied in pipettes containing 0.4, 0.89 and 1.79 ml for cats of 1.2-2.8 kg, > 2.8-6.25 kg and > 6.25-12.5 kg body weight, respectively. The other animals living in the same household also received fluralaner. Based on cytological examination at day 0, oral amoxicillin and clavulanic acid was prescribed for 21 days if indicated. For cats presenting intense pruritus and discomfort at day 0, oral prednisolone at 0.5 mg/kg was prescribed for 3 days. RESULTS: During the study all cats, except for one (cat number 10), improved significantly. Post-treatment median SCORFAD scores at all evaluations were significantly different from the pre-treatment score on day 0 (P values < 0.002 for all three post treatment examination days) with a score reduction of 49% on day 28, 79% on day 56 and 87% on day 84. The PVAS score decreased significantly over the study period for all cats but one (cat number 10). Post-treatment median PVAS scores at all evaluations were significantly different from the pre-treatment PVAS score on day 0 (P value < 0.002 for all four post-treatment days) with a reduction of 46% on day 15, 67% on day 28, 82% on day 56 and 92% on day 84. No adverse reaction or other health issue was reported during the study. CONCLUSIONS: A single topical treatment with fluralaner results in a significant reduction of flea bite allergic dermatitis clinical signs in cats over the subsequent 12 weeks without any additional environmental treatment.

Rickettsial Infections among Ctenocephalides felis and Host Animals during a Flea-Borne Rickettsioses Outbreak in Orange County, California.

Due to a resurgence of flea-borne rickettsioses in Orange County, California, we investigated the etiologies of rickettsial infections of Ctenocephalides felis, the predominant fleas species obtained from opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and domestic cats (Felis catus), collected from case exposure sites and other areas in Orange County. In addition, we assessed the prevalence of IgG antibodies against spotted fever group (SFGR) and typhus group (TGR) rickettsiae in opossum sera. Of the 597 flea specimens collected from opossums and cats, 37.2% tested positive for Rickettsia. PCR and sequencing of rickettsial genes obtained from C. felis flea DNA preparations revealed the presence of R. typhi (1.3%), R. felis (28.0%) and R. felis-like organisms (7.5%). Sera from opossums contained TGR-specific (40.84%), but not SFGR-specific antibodies. The detection of R. felis and R. typhi in the C. felis fleas in Orange County highlights the potential risk for human infection with either of these pathogens, and underscores the need for further investigations incorporating specimens from humans, animal hosts, and invertebrate vectors in endemic areas. Such studies will be essential for establishing a link in the ongoing flea-borne rickettsioses outbreaks.

Open field study on the efficacy of oral fluralaner for long-term control of flea allergy dermatitis in client-owned dogs in Ile-de-France region.

BACKGROUND: Fluralaner is the first orally administered isoxazoline to provide 12 weeks of activity against fleas and ticks after a single administration. As a result of its potent anti-flea activity, oral fluralaner may be proposed as a component of a strategy for the control of flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) in dogs. The open field study reported here assessed the efficacy of fluralaner for long-term control (up to 6 months) of FAD in affected client-owned dogs maintained under common household conditions in the Ile-de-France region. METHODS: This was an open pre-treatment versus post-treatment study. Client-owned dogs with clinical signs of FAD were recruited and treated with oral fluralaner (Bravecto®) at 25-56 mg/kg body weight on days 0 and 84. The dogs' condition was assessed at each visit (on days 0, 28, 84 and 168) using the following three parameters: (i) extent of skin lesions based on the scoring system for canine FAD; (ii) pruritus severity based on the pruritus visual analog scale; (iii) presence or absence of fleas or flea feces. RESULTS: Of the 26 dogs initially enrolled, 23 were presented on day 28, 20 on day 84 and 16 for the final evaluation on day 168. Eighteen out of 20 dogs (90 %) presented on day 84 and 15 out of 16 dogs (94 %) presented on day 168 showed a complete clinical resolution. The post-treatment FAD clinical scores on days 28, 84 and 168 were significantly different from that of the pre-treatment with a reduction of 89.8 %, 98.8 % and 99.8 %, respectively. The post-treatment pruritus index values on days 28, 84 and 168 were significantly different from that of the pre-treatment with a reduction of 45.2 %, 71.2 % and 80.8 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirmed that oral fluralaner treatment should be considered as effective for long-term control of clinical signs in FAD affected dogs.

Prostatitis, steatitis, and diarrhea in a dog following presumptive flea-borne transmission of Bartonella henselae.

Bartonella henselae is increasingly associated with a variety of pathological entities, which are often similar in dogs and human patients. Following an acute flea infestation, a dog developed an unusual clinical presentation for canine bartonellosis. Comprehensive medical, microbiological, and surgical interventions were required for diagnosis and to achieve a full recovery.

Arthropod bites.

The phylum Arthropoda includes arachnids and insects. Although their bites typically cause only local reactions, some species are venomous or transmit disease. The two medically important spiders in the United States are widow spiders (Latrodectus), the bite of which causes intense muscle spasms, and the brown recluse (Loxosceles), which may cause skin necrosis. Widow bites usually respond to narcotics, benzodiazepines, or, when necessary, antivenom. Most recluse bites resolve uneventfully without aggressive therapy and require only wound care and minor debridement. Tick bites can transmit diseases only after prolonged attachment to the host. Treatment of clothing with permethrin and proper tick removal greatly reduce the risk of infection. Ticks of medical importance in the United States include the black-legged tick, the Lone Star tick, and the American dog tick. The prophylactic use of a single dose of doxycycline for Lyme disease may be justified in high-risk areas of the country when an attached, engorged black-legged tick is removed. Bites from fleas, bedbugs, biting flies, and mosquitoes present as nonspecific pruritic pink papules, but the history and location of the bite can assist with diagnosis. Flea bites are usually on ankles, whereas mosquito bites are on exposed skin, and chigger bites tend to be along the sock and belt lines. Antihistamines are usually the only treatment required for insect bites; however, severe mosquito reactions (skeeter syndrome) may require prednisone. Applying insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) 10% to 35% or picaridin 20% is the best method for preventing bites.

Preventive efficacy of Frontline® Combo and Certifect® against Dipylidium caninum infestation of cats and dogs using a natural flea (Ctenocephalides felis) infestation model.

Two studies were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of two monthly topical anti-flea products for the prevention of Dipylidium caninum infestations in cats and dogs. A single treatment with Frontline(®) Combo spot-on for cats (fipronil-(S)-methoprene) and two successive monthly treatments of Certifect(®) for dogs (fipronil-amitraz-(S)-methoprene) were assessed for the prevention of D. caninum infestations following weekly challenges of treated cats or dogs with metacestode naturally-infected fleas. The rate of infestations using the model in cats versus dogs explains the choice of a 1-month trial in cats and a 2-month trial in dogs. The experimental flea-infection model resulted in a range of 22-53% of the fleas being infected by Dipylidium cysticercoids. The arithmetic mean flea counts recorded for the untreated cats ranged from 51.2 to 68. The geometric mean flea counts recorded for the Frontline Combo treated cats differed significantly (p < 0.05) from those of the untreated control cats on all assessment days. The arithmetic mean flea counts recorded for the untreated dogs ranged from 166.6 to 238.6. The geometric mean flea counts recorded for the Certifect treated dogs differed significantly (p < 0.001) from those of the untreated group on all assessment days. Frontline Combo treatment on cats provided ≥99.8% persistent anti-flea efficacy throughout the 30-day treatment period. In the dog study, the two Certifect treatments provided ≥97% persistent efficacy throughout the 60-day study. Based on the collection of expelled D. caninum proglottids by cats, 100% (6/6) of the control cats and 0% (0/6) of Frontline Combo treated cats were infested with D. caninum. Frontline Combo spot-on for cats was therefore 100% effective in preventing infection with D. caninum. In dogs, 7 out of the 8 control group dogs (87.5%) produced proglottids following infestation of infected fleas, whereas 0 out of 8 dogs (0%) in the treated group were infected. The infection rates of the two groups were significantly different. The percent effectiveness for the Certifect treatment group for the prevention of D. caninum infection was 100% during this 2-month trial. No treatment-related adverse events were observed in either cats or dogs during these studies.