First Report of Bovine Demodicosis in Native Egyptian Cow

First Report of Bovine Demodicosis in Native Egyptian Cow

Abstract

Objective:

Reporting a case of Demodex bovis in a native Egyptian cow and evaluating its treatment.

Animal: A thirteen years old mal-fed Egyptian cow suffering skin lesions.

Samples: Skin scraps and fecal samples were collected from the cow.

Procedures: Parasitological examinations of skin scrapings and of fecal samples by both concentration floatation and concentration sedimentation techniques.

Results: Demodex bovis mites of variable sizes were detected in skin scraping under the microscope. The infested cow was successfully treated by a combined two strategies, the improvement of her diet and using acaricidal drugs.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the demodicosis is related to immune suppression, the native Egyptian cows could be infested with it under certain circumstances and it could be successfully treated by the diet improvement and using acaricidal drugs.

Keywords: Demodex bovis; Cow; Diagnosis; Treatment; Egypt

Introduction

Demodectic mites live in hair follicles and sebaceous glands of humans and of most domestic animals. The clinical disease (demodicosis) is characterized by permanent genesis of new and disappearance of older nodules in the skin of the infested animal. This ectoparasite is host specific and is not transmissible from one species to another. The female Demodex lays from 4 to 6 eggs and after about 10 days post ovi-position adult Demodex develop and produce eggs that hatch to give larvae. The later moult to give proto-nymph which moult to give adult Demodex [1]. The ratio between female and male D. bovis is 10:1, and it is the female Demodex bovis that is responsible for invading the hair follicles and development of skin nodules [1].

Bovine demodicosis is characterized by the permanent genesis of new and disappearance of older nodules. The forward body regions are sites of predilection of these palpable nodules, Demodex bovis prefer the forward body regions in cattle due to the higher sweat gland activity in these regions [2]. Calves are known to naturally acquire D. bovis natural infection within half a day exposure to an infested dam [3]. This is the report of a clinical case of D. bovis infection (demodicosis) in a native cow in Egypt.

Material and Methods

Clinical Findings

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The Cow: A 13 year-old native Egyptian cow suffering from emaciation and of almost normal clinical parameters except with the presence of some skin lesions and itching was presented. This cow belonged to Department of animal behaviour and management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University.

The site and size of skin lesions: Lesions were distributed all over the body coat including face, around eyes, neck, chest, abdomen, legs and buttocks and were of variable sizes (Figures 1 & 2).

Figure 1: Skin lesions in chest, neck and face of Demodex bovis infested cow.

The Feeding of the Reported Cow

The diet of the animal consisted totally of low quality roughages (rice straw).

Parasitological Examinations

The reported cow was examined for both external and internal parasites by using different techniques including skin scrapping [4] with exception of replacement of sodium hydroxide solution by tap water. Skin scrapping was repeated after treatment to prove the treatment success. Fecal concentration floatation and fecal concentration sedimentation were also adopted [5].

Treatment of the Reported Cow

Two lines of treatment were adopted as follows (i) feeding management: The diet changed to be more valuable and nutritious one consisting of concentrates and barseem, poly-mineral mixture was added on the concentrates, and (ii) specific treatment: the animal was sprayed with Diazinon-60®(Diazinon, emulsifiable concentrate, Adwia) 1/1000 solution day after day for one week. One injection of Dectomax®(doramectin, Pfizer), 8 ml was injected intramuscularly. Ten ml of AD3 E ® (vitamins A,D and E, Al-Arabia ) was injected intramuscularly daily for one week. The treatment was evaluated by both the clinical improvement and absence of Demodex bovis in the repeated skin scrapings.

Results

Skin scrapping revealed D. bovis which was eight legged alligator , it was typically elongated mite with very short, stubby legs, its length was 132 to 149 μm (Figures 3 & 4). This slight size differences was also observed among D. bovis described under microscope [6]. Post-treatment skin scrapping was negative which confirm the treatment result. Fecal examinations carried out were negative. Treatment of the infested cow showed very good result where skin was completely healed after one month, it showed complete development of glistening hairs as presented in Figure 5