An Uncommon and Severe Clinical Case of Sarcoptes scabiei Infestation in a Cat

Abstract

The burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei causes sarcoptic mange in dogs and other mammals, including humans. Despite S. scabiei infests several animals, little is known about the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment of sarcoptic mange in cats. A few reports have shown that clinical signs of S. scabiei infestation in cats may vary from non-pruritic crusted lesions to itchy and mild lesions, while severe signs are very infrequent. The present report describes a severe case of S. scabiei infestation in a stray cat from Italy, characterized by bilateral alopecia, diffuse and multifocal hyperpigmented, crusted, erythematous, scaled, and exfoliated lesions. The cat was FIV-positive and also infected by the cestode Dipylidium caninum. After treatment with a broad-spectrum parasiticide and an antibiotic, the cat showed an almost complete clinical recovery in 4 weeks. Unfortunately, no further clinical examinations were performed due to the lack of compliance of the owner and to the death of the cat for causes unrelated to sarcoptic mange. This clinical case indicates that under certain circumstances, S. scabiei can reproduce and cause severe clinical signs in cats which are usually considered non-permissive hosts for this mite, and in which the disease is usually self-limiting. Clinic-pathological, epidemiological, and zoonotic implications are discussed.

Keywords: mites; sarcoptic mange; skin lesions; zoonosis.

Figure 1

Skin lesions due to Sarcoptes scabiei on the nose (A), on the ears (B), and severe lesions on the caudal region (C).

Figure 2

Egg (A), larva (B), and male adult (C) of Sarcoptes scabiei detected using skin scraping of the lesions. The terminal anus is indicated with the black arrow.

Figure 3

Several eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei retrieved in the skin scraping before the clarification (A). The terminal anus (arrow) (B) and the dorsal cuticular spines are indicated (circle) (C).