The Scientific World Journal

Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 718590, 3 pages

http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/718590

Research Article

Prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei Infection in Pet Dogs in Southern China

Yi-Zhou Chen,¹ Guo-Hua Liu,2,3 Hui-Qun Song,² Rui-Qing Lin,¹ Ya-Biao Weng,¹ and Xing-Quan Zhu2,3

¹College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China

²State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, China

³College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China

Received 9 January 2014; Accepted 18 February 2014; Published 11 March 2014

Academic Editors: J. P. Akue and K. Y. Mumcuoglu

Copyright © 2014 Yi-Zhou Chen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract.

Little is known about the prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in pet dogs in China. In the present study, the prevalence of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China, was investigated between January and December, 2009. A total of 3,977 pet dogs admitted to animal hospitals were examined for the presence of S. scabiei using a parasitological approach. The average prevalence of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs is 1.18% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85–1.52%). The prevalence of S. scabiei was higher in winter (1.42%; 95% CI: 0.29–2.55%), summer (1.39%; 95% CI: 0.83–1.96%), and autumn (1.1%; 95% CI: 0.53–1.68%) than in spring (0.63%; 95% CI: 0.02–1.25%). Furthermore, the prevalence of S. scabiei was the highest in Pekingese (21.88%; 95% CI: 7.55–36.2%), followed by Papillon (5.26%; 95% CI: 0–11.06%) and Bichon Frise (3.19%; 95% CI: 0–6.75%). The results of the present investigation indicate that S. scabiei infection is prevalent in pet dogs in Guangzhou, China, which provides relevant “baseline” data for conducting control strategies and measures against scabies in this region and elsewhere in China. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report of S. scabiei prevalence in pet dogs in China.

1. Introduction

Scabies is an emerging or reemerging infectious disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei that threatens globally human and animal health [1]. It is estimated that about 300 million people worldwide are currently infected with S. scabiei [2]. There is a general agreement that S. scabiei from humans and animals represents a single species [3, 4].

S. scabiei can also infect animal hosts, including cat [5], giraffe [6], pig [7], raccoon dog [8], rabbit [9], sheep [10], serow [11], and wolf [12], leading to major economic losses [13]. Scabies is a major problem in dogs, for example, approximately 20% of dogs in some regions of the Korea experiencing S. scabiei [14]. The mite can invade many different body parts of dogs and can cause erythema, papules, lichenification, scales, crusts, and alopecia [15].

Although the prevalence of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs has been reported in some countries [16, 17], little is known about the prevalence of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs in China [18–20]. Moreover, these preliminary pilot surveys showed that S. scabiei is highly prevalent in pet dogs in China. Therefore, the objective of the present investigation was to examine the S. scabiei prevalence in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China. The results should provide a foundation for the control of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs in this region and elsewhere in China.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Examination of Pet Dogs for the Presence of S. scabiei and Data Collection

From January to December, 2009, a total of 3,977 pet dogs admitted to animal hospitals in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, southern China, were examined for the presence of S. scabiei (Table 1). Before sampling, pet dogs were subjected to clinical examination to determine their health status. Information about each pet dog, such as age, medical history, sex, breed, and weight, was collected. All pet dogs, from which S. scabiei were examined, were handled in strict accordance with good animal practice as defined by the relevant national and/or local animal welfare bodies, and all animal work was approved by the appropriate committee. The presence of S. scabiei was detected by microscopic examination of deep skin scraping, plucked hairs, and skin biopsy. Identification of S. scabiei was conducted by morphological criteria and site of predilection [13].

Table 1: Seasonal prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China.

Season
No. examined
No. positive
Prevalence (%)

Spring
633
4
0.63

Summer
1652
23
1.39

Autumn
1269
14
1.1

Winter
423
6
1.42

Total
3977
47
1.18

2.2. Statistical Analysis

The data were analyzed statistically using the PASW Statistics 18 (IBM Corporation, Somers, NY, USA); 95 % confidence intervals (CI) are given. The value of differences between levels within factors and interactions was considered to be statistically significant.

3. Results and Discussion

The overall prevalence of S. scabiei in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China, was 1.18% (95% CI: 0.85–1.52%) (Table 1). The prevalence in female pet dogs (1.23%) was slightly higher than that in male pet dogs (1.15%) (Table 1). The S. scabiei prevalence was higher () in winter (1.42%), summer (1.39%), and autumn (1.1%) than in spring (0.63%) (Table 1). The prevalence of S. scabiei in pet dogs of less than 1 year old (1.15%) was higher than in pet dogs of other age groups (Table 2). Furthermore, the prevalence of S. scabiei was the highest in Pekingese (21.88%), followed by Papillon (5.26%) and Bichon Frise (3.19%) (not shown).

Table 2: Prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in pet dogs of different age groups in Guangzhou, southern China.

Age
No. examined
No. positive
Prevalence (%)

<1 yr
2007
27
1.35

1–5 yr
1486
16
1.08

>5 yr
484
4
0.83

Total
3977
47
1.18

Scabies is a significant public health problem and causes considerable economic impact on livestock industry around the world [21]. The present study provides the first comprehensive assessment of S. scabiei infection in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China. The present survey showed that the S. scabiei prevalence in pet dogs was 1.18% (95% CI: 0.85–1.52%), which was lower than that reported in Nigeria (2.0%) [16] and Iran (5.56%) [17]. These differences may be related to climate conditions, such as humidity and temperature, as well as the susceptibility of different breeds of dogs.

The present investigation showed that prevalence of S. scabiei is the highest in winter (1.42%; 95% CI: 0.29–2.55%), followed by summer (1.39%; 95% CI: 0.83–1.96%), and was the lowest in spring (0.63%; 95% CI: 0.02–1.25%). These results suggest that S. scabiei is prevalent all year round, with the peaks in winter (cold season) and summer (moist season), which is consistent with that of a previous study [22]. Cold weather encourages increased physical crowding of pet dogs and S. scabiei can survive longer away from the host in lower temperatures [2]. Furthermore, the more frequent incidence in moist season might be because these conditions are favorable for mite reproduction.

The present study revealed that the prevalence of S. scabiei in pet dogs of less than 1 year old was higher than in pet dogs of other age groups, suggesting that young pet dogs appear to be more susceptible to S. scabiei than adult pet dogs. This is most likely due to their constant exposure to carrier mothers/owners because scabies is transmitted by direct person-to-person body contact. Furthermore, the prevalence of S. scabiei was the highest in Pekingese (21.88%; 7/32) although it is not popular as pet dogs in China. However, high prevalence in Pekingese poses a significant health risk for humans because the dog scabies can be transmitted to humans [23, 24].

4. Conclusion

In summary, the results of the present survey indicate that S. scabiei infection is prevalent in pet dogs in Guangzhou, southern China, but this severe situation has received little attention in the past. Therefore, it is imperative to take integrated control strategies and measures to prevent and control S. scabiei infection in pet dogs in this region and elsewhere in China. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report of S. scabiei prevalence in pet dogs in China.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Acknowledgment

Project support was provided by the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of Gansu Province (Grant no. 1210RJIA006).

References

P. Daszak, A. A. Cunningham, and A. D. Hyatt, “Emerging infectious diseases of wildlife—threats to biodiversity and human health,” Science, vol. 287, no. 5452, pp. 443–449, 2000.

U. R. Hengge, B. J. Currie, G. Jäger, O. Lupi, and R. A. Schwartz, “Scabies: a ubiquitous neglected skin disease,” The Lancet Infectious Diseases, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. 769–779, 2006.

J. Heukelbach and H. Feldmeier, “Scabies,” The Lancet, vol. 367, no. 9524, pp. 1767–1774, 2006.

S. Alasaad, D. Soglia, V. Spalenza et al., “Is ITS-2 rDNA suitable marker for genetic characterization of Sarcoptes mites from different wild animals in different geographic areas?” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 159, no. 2, pp. 181–185, 2009.

R. Malik, K. McKellar Stewart, C. A. Sousa et al., “Crusted scabies (sarcoptic mange) in four cats due to Sarcoptes scabiei infestation,” Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 327–339, 2006.

S. Alasaad, D. Ndeereh, L. Rossi et al., “The opportunistic Sarcoptes scabiei: a new episode from giraffe in the drought-suffering Kenya,” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 185, no. 2–4, pp. 359–363, 2012.

E. Goyena, R. Ruiz de Ybáñez, C. Martínez-Carrasco et al., “On the aggregated nature of chronic Sarcoptes scabiei infection in adult pigs,” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 192, no. 1–3, pp. 301–306, 2013.

N. Kido, M. Itabashi, M. Takahashi, and M. Futami, “Epidemiology of sarcoptic mange in free-ranging raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Yokohama, Japan,” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 191, no. 1-2, pp. 102–107, 2013.

J. Millán, R. Casáis, M. Delibes-Mateos et al., “Widespread exposure to Sarcoptes scabiei in wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Spain,” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 183, no. 3-4, pp. 323–329, 2012.

S. Rahbari, S. Nabian, and A. R. Bahonar, “Some observations on sheep sarcoptic mange in Tehran province, Iran,” Tropical Animal Health and Production, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 397–401, 2009.

C. C. Chen, K. J. Pei, Y. C. Lai, and J. A. Mortenson, “Participatory epidemiology to assess sarcoptic mange in serow of Taiwan,” Journal of Wildlife Diseases, vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 869–875, 2012.

A. Oleaga, S. Alasaad, L. Rossi et al., “Genetic epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei in the Iberian wolf in Asturias, Spain,” Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 196, no. 3-4, pp. 454–459, 2013.

S. F. Walton and B. J. Currie, “Problems in diagnosing scabies, a global disease in human and animal populations,” Clinical Microbiology Reviews, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 268–279, 2007.

J.-H. Chee, J.-K. Kwon, H.-S. Cho et al., “A survey of ectoparasite infestations in stray dogs of Gwang-ju City, Republic of Korea,” Korean Journal of Parasitology, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 23–27, 2008.

D. Pin, E. Bensignor, D.-N. Carlotti, and M. C. Cadiergues, “Localised sarcoptic mange in dogs: a retrospective study of 10 cases,” Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 47, no. 10, pp. 611–614, 2006.

U. S. Ugbomoiko, L. Ariza, and J. Heukelbach, “Parasites of importance for human health in Nigerian dogs: high prevalence and limited knowledge of pet owners,” BMC Veterinary Research, vol. 4, article 49, 2008.

B. Mosallanejad, A. Alborzi, and N. Katvandi, “A Survey on ectoparasite infestations in companion dogs of Ahvaz district, south-west of Iran,” Iranian Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 70–78, 2012.

L. Zhang, G. Q. Zhen, and J. Zhen, “Prevalence of parasites infection in pet dogs in Luoyang city,” Guizhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medecine, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 8–9, 2006 (Chinese).

Q. H. Chen, W. G. Wang, and S. L. Long, “Prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in pet dogs in Changsha city and Zhongfang county,” Hunan Journal of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 29–31, 2011 (Chinese).

M. S. Li and T. N. Erdun, “Prevalence of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in pet dogs in Jilin region,” Heilongjiang Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, vol. 55, no. 6, pp. 89–90, 2011 (Chinese).

S. Alasaad, L. Rossi, J. Heukelbach et al., “The neglected navigating web of the incomprehensibly emerging and re-emerging Sarcoptes mite,” Infection Genetics and Evolution, vol. 17, pp. 253–259, 2013.

D. Xhaxhiu, I. Kusi, D. Rapti et al., “Ectoparasites of dogs and cats in Albania,” Parasitology Research, vol. 105, no. 6, pp. 1577–1587, 2009.

I. E. Aydingöz and A. T. Mansur, “Canine scabies in humans: a case report and review of the literature,” Dermatology, vol. 223, no. 2, pp. 104–106, 2011.

T. A. Morsy, M. E. Bakr, M. M. Ahmed, and M. M. Kotb, “Human scabies acquired from a pet puppy,” Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 305–308, 1994.