A New Zealand record for the cat fur-mite, Lynxacarus (Felistrophorus) radovskyi Tenorio (Acarina: Astigmata: Listrophoridae)

Authors: Mariadass B, Heath ACG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 47, Issue 6, pp 211-212, Dec 1999
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cat, Companion animal
Subject Terms: Biosecurity, Inflammation, Integument/skin/wool/hair/fur/feather, Disease/defect, Import/export/trade, Parasites - external, New hosts/new diseases
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: The cat fur-mite, Lynxacarus (Felistrophorus) radovskyi is a relatively recent discovery (Tenorio 1974) and to date only rarely noted. Excluding its first discovery in Hawaii (Tenorio 1974), the mite has been recorded only seven times previously, i.e. from Puerto Rico (Fox 1977), Australia (Bowman & Domrow 1978), Fiji (Munro & Munro 1979); Florida (Greve & Gerrish 1981), Brazil (Faccini & Coutinho 1987); Florida keys (Foley 199 1) and Texas (Craig et al. 1993). The mite can cause intense itching, particularly on the posterior half of the cat, and gastrointestinal symptoms as well as alopecia and gingivitis have been recorded, most from an epizootic in >300 cases (Foley 1991). The case reported here is the first time L. radovskyi has been recorded in New Zealand. A short hair x long hair breed of cat, 10 years old, was imported from Western Samoa into New Zealand, arriving in quarantine in Auckland on 3 December 1996. Prior to the cat`s intended release on 3 1 January 1997, a hair sample was taken and mites found. These were…

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