EAR MITES, OTODECTES CYNOTIS, ON WILD FOXES (PSEUDALOPEX SPP.) IN CHILE

We found the ear mite parasite (Otodectes cynotis; Acari: Psoroptidae) in two distant insular endangered fox populations in Chile. We identified O. cynotis in both the Darwin's fox (Pseudalopex fulvipes) from Chiloé and the Fuegian culpeo (Pseudalopex culpaeus lycoides) in Tierra del Fuego. These populations are approximately 2,000 km apart. Infestation rates were high for both endemic foxes: 76% (19/25) of Darwin's foxes were affected, and 73% (11/15) of Fuegian culpeos had ear mites. Two Darwin's foxes had abundant ear discharge, and one of these also exhibited secondary infections of Morganella morganii and Geotrichum sp. fungi. Mites were characterized molecularly as Otodectes spp. for the Fuegian culpeo samples. Genetic analyses of two mites found the O. cynotis genotype I, as well as what appeared to be a new allele sequence for O. cynotis. These results confirmed the hypothesis of a worldwide distribution species of ear mite. Introduced chilla foxes (Pseudalopex griseus; n=11) on Tierra del Fuego Island and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris; n=379) from both islands were also sampled, but they showed no signs of infection. Our findings provided insight into the genetic diversity, the origins, and the possible impact of this globally distributed mite on endemic free-ranging populations of foxes.

Quantifying parasite presence in relation to biological parameters of harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena stranded on the Dutch coast

Harbour porpoises are often found to be infected by endoparasites in several organs including the lungs and stomach as well as the heart, liver and ears. Nevertheless there is still little knowledge about the impact, ecology, transmission, and virulence of these parasitic infections. Here, we profile the presence of parasites in 4 frequently infected organs (lungs, stomach, liver and ears) in relation to biological parameters of harbour porpoises stranded along the Dutch coastline between December 2008 and December 2013. We found that parasites were common, with prevalence of 68% in lungs, 74.4% in ears, 26% in stomach and 23.5% in liver. We used generalised linear models to further quantify parasite presence in relation to biological data gathered during necropsy (sex, body length and nutritive condition). Body length (used as a proxy for age) was significant in explaining parasite presence for all organs with increasing probability of having the parasite with increasing body length. For the parasitic infections in the ears and stomach the nutritive condition was an additional significant factor, with a higher probability of parasite presence in porpoises in a poorer nutritive condition. The results of this study can be used as a baseline for assessing parasite presence in harbour porpoises and are a first step towards linking parasite infections to basic biological data gathered during necropsy.

Diversity and distribution of tick species (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with human otoacariasis and socio-ecological risk factors of tick infestations in Sri Lanka

Tick infestation in humans is a major public health concern. The diversity and distribution of tick species associated with human otoacariasis was studied in five districts: Anuradhapura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura in the main agro-climatic zones of Sri Lanka. Ticks from patients attending the ear, nose and throat clinics of the General Hospitals were collected during a 3 year period. In total 426 ticks were collected. Most human otoacariasis cases were reported from Kandy (33.8 %) and the fewest from Nuwara Eliya (8.2 %). Of the five tick species identified, nymphs of Dermacentor auratus constituted 90.6 % of the collection. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma isaaci, Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Otobius megnini were found rarely infesting humans possibly as an accidental host; H. bispinosa and O. megnini in the human ear canal were first time records in Sri Lanka. Females and children under 10 years were identified as risk groups of human otoacariasis. Subsequently, a field study was carried out to determine socio-ecological risk factors of human tick infestations in the five districts. Based on hospital data, eight villages with high prevalence of otoacariasis were selected from each district. A total 40 villages were visited and 1674 household members were interviewed. Involvement in outdoor activities, presence of wild animals around the house, location of the house in close proximity to a forest and occupation were identified as major risk factors.

Ear Mite Removal in the Santa Catalina Island Fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae): Controlling Risk Factors for Cancer Development

Ear mites (Otodectes cynotis) and ear canal tumors are highly prevalent among federally endangered Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) living on Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. Since studies began in the 1990s, nearly all foxes examined were found to be infected with ear mites, and ceruminous gland tumors (carcinomas and adenomas) were detected in approximately half of all foxes ≥ 4 years of age. We hypothesized that reduction of ear mite infection would reduce otitis externa and ceruminous gland hyperplasia, a risk factor for tumor development. In this study, we conducted a randomized field trial to assess the impact of acaricide treatment on ear mite prevalence and intensity of infection, otitis externa, ceruminous gland hyperplasia, and mite-specific IgG and IgE antibody levels. Treatment was highly effective at eliminating mites and reducing otitis externa and ceruminous gland hyperplasia, and mite-specific IgG antibody levels were significantly lower among uninfected foxes. Ceruminous gland hyperplasia increased in the chronically infected, untreated foxes during the six month study. Our results provide compelling evidence that acaricide treatment is an effective means of reducing ear mites, and that mite removal in turn reduces ear lesions and mite-specific IgG antibody levels in Santa Catalina Island foxes. This study has advanced our understanding of the underlying pathogenesis which results in ceruminous gland tumors, and has helped inform management decisions that impact species conservation.

Aural myiasis caused by Parasarcophaga (Liosarcophaga) dux (Thomson) in Thailand

Herein is reported the first case in Thailand of aural myiasis caused by the flesh fly, Parasarcophaga (Liosarcophaga) dux (Thomson). A 5-day-old infant was taken to hospital with a slightly bloody ear. Two fly larvae exiting the ear and another recovered by a physician were alive, and confirmed as P. dux species from adult examination results. This case brought attention to the need for protection against synanthropic flies, particularly for infants and/or hearing impaired patients.

[Otomyiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax in two children from the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina]

Cochliomyia hominivorax causes 80% of human myiasis in Argentina. Nowadays, its geographic distribution covers tropical South America and an important region of Argentina. In the present report, two clinical cases of otomyiasis by C. hominivorax in pediatric patients assisted at the Hospital de Clinicas of Buenos Aires, Argentina are described. The relevance of the taxonomic identification lies in the fact that this species produces severe symptoms owing to the capacity of its larvae to drill the bones and cause the host's death.

Monitoring the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in a murine model of cutaneous leishmaniasis using L. major expressing GFP

A murine model of cutaneous leishmaniasis with green fluorescent protein positive (GFP+) L. major enables the monitoring of parasitic load via measurements of GFP fluorescence intensity, allowing for a faster and more efficient way of monitoring the clinical outcome of photodynamic therapy (PDT). This model may provide new insights on the phototoxic aspects in PDT. Although PDT regimens may be somewhat different in humans, it is expected that the developed model will facilitate the optimization and clinical translation of PDT as a therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis and the eventual development of topical PDT treatments for other granulomatous infections.

Otitis externa and myringitis due to demodicidosis

We report on an 84-year-old woman with chronic pruritic otitis externa and myringitis. Microbiological and mycological investigations failed to establish the cause, but histology revealed a large amount of Demodex mites. Topical treatment for this ectoparasite resulted in a complete remission. The myringitis was eventually treated successfully with myringoplasty. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report on Demodex-induced otitis externa and myringitis.

[Otic myiasis. Case report]

Otic myiasis is rare in developed countries and is related to environmental conditions and poor hygiene. We present the case of a 65-year-old woman with pain and tinnitus in the left ear lasting for one week. Physical examination in the emergency room showed numerous dipteran larvae totally occupying the external auditory canal. After the diagnosis of otic myiasis, the larvae were removed and the patient was discharged after 24 hours of medical observation. The diagnosis of otic myiasis is by means of direct visualization of the larvae in the ear cavities and treatment includes the removal of larvae from the ear. Prognosis is generally good.

Neonatal myiasis: a case report

Myiasis is a disease caused by fly larvae. Although adult cases have been reported, neonatal myiasis is a rare condition and there are few reports about this subject. In this article, we report a 12-day-old female neonate who was referred to us due to larvae in her eyes and ears. She was infected with Lucilia spp. larvae and was treated with proper antibiotics.

A human case of otoacariasis involving a histiostomatid mite (Acari: Histiostomatidae)

A 31-year-old Saudi man was seen at an ear, nose, and throat clinic at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with bilateral itching in the external auditory canal. On otoscopic examination, the skin lining the ear canal was thickened with whitish sheets of sloughed cells and thick discharge. Large numbers of mites of an undescribed species closely related to members of the genus Loxanoetus (Histiostomatidae) were present. The patient underwent successive washings of the ear canal with saline and 70% ethanol at intervals of 2-3 months and was treated with antibiotics. Treatment with Eurax (crotamiton) ear drops for one week cleared the mite infestation. This represents the first reported case of human otoacariasis involving a histiostomatid mite. Based on the known biology of histiostomatid mites and the associated hosts of Loxanoetus and related genera, there is reason to speculate that the patient acquired the infestation while swimming in a lake or pond where this mite was present.

[Human auricular myiasis caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): about three observations in Morocco]

We report three cases of human otomyiasis observed in rural Moroccan children. Myiasis of external orifices usually occurs from neglected chronic lesions of the patients with poor personal hygiene. The parasitologic identification revealed Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Wohlfahrtiosis is common myiasis of sheep and goats in Mediterranean basin. Through this paper we underline the epidemiological, pathogenic, clinical and therapeutic aspects of this parasitosis.

Occurrence of the ear-mite Raillietia auris in cattle in Austria

We describe here the first documented case in Austria of the cattle ear mite Raillietia auris in a four-year-old dairy cow. The cow was mildly depressed, and keratoconjunctivitis was diagnosed in both eyes with Horner's syndrome in the left eye. The animal showed a mild head tilt to the left and a generalized ataxia with a tendency to move to the right side, which became exacerbated if the animal was blind-folded. Head pressing to the right side, dysphagia and a dropped jaw were also observed. Numerous rather mobile ear mites were observed at necropsy in the basal part of the left ear canal. The clinical significance of the cattle ear mite is uncertain and the clinical signs could have been caused by listerial encephalitis, which was also confirmed histologically in this case.

Efficacy and safety of imidacloprid 10% plus moxidectin 2.5% spot-on in the treatment of sarcoptic mange and otoacariosis in dogs: results af a European field study

Efficacy and safety of treatment with imidacloprid 10%+moxidectin 2.5% spot-on (Advocate, Advantage multi; Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany) were tested in dogs naturally infested with Sarcoptes scabiei or Otodectes cynotis in a multi-centre, controlled, randomized, blinded field study conducted in France, Germany, Albania and the UK. The study was performed according to a non-inferiority design to demonstrate that the efficacy of imidacloprid/moxidectin spot-on was not inferior to that of a control product containing selamectin (Stronghold spot-on; Pfizer). All Sarcoptes-infested dogs were topically treated twice (days 0 and 28) with the dosage recommended by the respective manufacturer (27 dogs with imidacloprid/moxidectin, 26 with selamectin). All Otodectes-infested dogs were treated on day 0 (35 dogs with imidacloprid/moxidectin, 34 with selamectin), and only those still positive on day 28 received a second treatment. Parasitological cure rate in Sarcoptes-infested dogs was 100% for both treatments, while parasitological cures rates in the Otodectes-infested dogs at day 28 and day 56 were 68.6 and 85.7% with imidacloprid/moxidectin, and 64.7 and 88.2% with Stronghold. Non-inferiority of Advocate was confirmed statistically. Clinical assessment of skin lesion scores at day 56 showed that with either product >96% of the dogs treated against sarcoptic mange were improved or cured, the difference between the groups being non-significant. On the basis of a final clinical assessment of lesion scores, 80% of the dogs treated with imidacloprid/moxidectin against otoacariosis and 85.3% of those treated with selamectin were rated cured or improved. Only three mild, possibly drug-related adverse reactions were observed among alI treated animals (two in the imidacloprid/moxidectin group, one in the selamectin group). It is concluded that imidacloprid/moxidectin spot-on is an effective and safe treatment for sarcoptic mange and otoacariosis in the dog.

Case reports: intra-aural tick infestations in humans in Sri Lanka

Intra-aural tick infestation was detected in 29 patients presenting with acute ear pain in the central province of Sri Lanka during June 1999 to January 2002. The ages ranged from 9 months to 67 years. All showed oedematous aural canals and enlarged adjacent lymph nodes. Of 30 ticks removed, 29 were nymphs of Dermacentor auratus and 1 and male Hyalomma marginatum isaaci.

Human otoacariasis: a retrospective study from an area of Sri Lanka

Intra-aural ticks were present in 870 (15.2%) of 5714 patients who reported with ear-related complaints to the ear, nose and throat ward at Ratnapura Hospital, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, from January 2000 to December 2001. A retrospective study of 383 of these otoacariasis cases showed that the majority (70.8%) of surgically-removed ticks were nymphal Amblyomma integrum, together with nymphal and adult Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, R. sanguineus, Hyalomma brevipunctata, H. marginatum, and unidentified (damaged) ticks (collectively, 29.2%). Tick infestations peaked during the period November-February. More female than male patients reported with otoacariasis, and more children (aged 0-10 years) and adults (aged >/=21 years) than adolescents. There was no evidence of age-dependent differences in infestation among male and female patients. The tick-infested cases were widespread, spanning 75 km on a north-south axis and 55 km on an east-west axis within Sabaragamuwa Province. The present report represents the largest episode of human otoacariasis recorded in the literature, and may be indicative of a wider, but little-reported, human tick problem in Sri Lanka.

Efficacy of selamectin administered topically in the treatment of feline otoacariosis

The efficacy of a novel avermectin, selamectin (Stronghold, Pfizer), was evaluated against naturally acquired aural infestations of Otodectes cynotis. Selamectin was administered topically in a single spot to the skin of each animal's back at the base of the neck in front of the scapulae at a minimum dosage of 6mgkg(-1). Thirty cats of a cattery of 120 animals with an endemic infestation were treated on days 0 and 30. Including untreated control cats was therefore not possible because of animal welfare consideration. Clinical examination and visualization of mites by otoscopic examination of the external ear canal and microscopic examination of aural debris/exudate were performed twice weekly from days 0 to 30. On day 0 (and day 28 if the ears canals were erythematous), a swab was taken from each canal and sent to bacteriology and mycology units for detection and identification of bacteria (Staphylococcus mainly) and yeast (Malassezia pachydermatis only). Selamectin was safe, parasites were killed before day 3 and eliminated before day 17. Selamectin was 100% effective against natural aural infestations, even if erythema (26-33% of cats) and scratch reflex (23-40% of cats) persisted for 2 weeks after the cats tested negative for mites.

Validity of species status of the parasitic mite Otodectes cynotis

A combined molecular and phenotypic approach was used to determine whether ear mites of the genus Otodectes (Acari: Psoroptidae) belong to a single species. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS 2) of the rDNA of 16 isolates from 11 cats, two dogs, one arctic fox and two ferrets originating from four different continents was characterized. In addition, mites from dog, cat and arctic fox were investigated morphologically. Sequence comparisons revealed five different, but closely related genotypes which did not segregate according to host species or geographical origin. Morphologically, mites of the three host species did not differ significantly in their body or leg sizes. These investigations support the view that ear mites of the genus Otodectes from different hosts and geographical origins belong to a single species, Otodectes cynotis (Hering).

[Ear myiasis. Two case reports]

The authors report two cases of aural myiasis. This pathology rarity induced us to search after epidemiologic, clinic and therapeutic peculiarity of this parasitical disease.

Human auricolar myiasis caused by Wohlfartia magnifica (Schiner) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): first case found in Sardinia

The authors report a case of myiasis of the middle ear caused by Wohlfartia magnifica Schiner (Diptera: Sarcophagidae). The entomological aspects, the clinical epidemiological characteristics and the therapeutic solutions of this disease are evaluated. In particular, they underline the rarity of myiasis both because of the aetiologic agent and the anatomical site. The therapeutic aspects are also reported and discussed.

Carabid beetle invasion of the ear in Oman

Two cases of human ear invasion by a predaceous beetle, Crasydactylus punctatus Guerin (Coleoptera; Carabidae), are reported from the Sultanate of Oman. The first case was that of a 35-year old woman who suffered a severe otologic injury caused by the biting and chewing of the external auditory canal and the tympanic membrane. The beetle then entered the middle ear and caused sensorineural hearing loss. The second case involved a 22-year-old male from whose ear a specimen of the same species was successfully removed after it was immobilized with 10% lidocaine spray. These cases are presented with discussion.

An aural myiasis case in a 54-year-old male farmer in Korea

A 54-year-old male farmer residing in Chunchon, Korea, complaining of blood tinged discharge and tinnitus in the left ear for two days, was examined in August 16, 1996. Otoscopic examination revealed live maggots from the ear canal. The patient did not complain of any symptoms after removal of maggots. Five maggots recovered were identified as the third stage larvae of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae). This is the first record of aural myiasis in Korea.

Abnormal migration of ascaris into the middle ear

Ascaris in the middle ear is very rare with very few cases having been reported. We report here two such cases with different presentations.

The genus Hexidionis (Acari:Trombiculidae) with the description of a new species from Texas

Hexidionis garfieldi is described as new from specimens collected off a domestic cat. Felis silvestris f. catus Schreber, in Corpus Christi, TX. The genus Hexidionis Vercammen-Grandjean & Loomis, 1967, is rediagnosed and a key to the 11 included species given.

[Iatrogenic cervicofacial hydatid cysts. Apropos of a case]

The writers give an account of a cervicofacial hydatid dissemination case, provoked by iterative ponctions of hydatid cyst initially isolated in the left maxillary sinus. They state diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties sometimes found and they insist on the role that must be played by immunologic tests in diagnostic approach and treatment monitoring of this disease which is unfortunately current and serious.

Aural myiasis caused by flesh fly larva, Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis

During the years 1990 to 1993, four cases of aural myiasis in children, caused by the flesh fly larvae of Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis, are reported. The patients were admitted to the Emergency Room complaining of discharging ear, otalgia, and itching. Flesh fly larvae were removed after local treatment and identified as Sarcophaga haemorrhoidalis. These cases are discussed with a review of the literature.

Myiasis in children: the Indian perspective

A retrospective analysis of 94 cases of childhood myiasis admitted over a 6-year period is presented. Children formed 37.9% of all cases of myiasis. More than 50% of the children were less than 5 years of age and most (96.8%) belonged to a rural background. Of the 94 cases, 81 (86.16%) were of aural, 11 (11.7%) of nasal and 2 (2.12%) of ocular myiasis. The peak incidence was seen from September to October. The main symptoms in aural myiasis were passage of worms (81.48%), discharge (44.44%) and pain (41.97%). In nasal myiasis epistaxis (100%), foul smell (100%) passage of worms (90.9%) and pain (72.72%) were the prime presenting symptoms. All patients were treated with chloroform and turpentine oil in the ratio 1:4 which was followed by manual removal of the maggots and were made maggot-free in 2-3 days. No complications were seen.