Characterization of ectoparasites on dogs in the nucleus of urban expansion of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The present work studied the characterization of ectoparasites on dogs in the nucleus of urban expansion of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The collections were conducted from July to September 2003, examining 101 dogs of no defined breed. The ectoparasites were collected through visual and tactile inspection of the animals' bodies, and were then placed in bottles with 70 degrees GL ethanol and identified under a stereomicroscope. Specimens were clarified and mounted cn slides for analysis under a photonic microscope. Among the siphonaptera, Ctenocephalides felis was the most prevalent (64.35%), with mean intensity of 6.12 +/- 5.37 Siphonaptera/dog, followed by Rhopalopsyllus lutzi (3.96%), a, hybrid of C. felis X C canis (1.98%), and Tunga penetrans (1.98%). The only species of Phthiraptera found was Trichodectes canis (7.92%), with 1.3 +/- 0.51 Phthiraptera/dog. Among the Ixodidae, Rhipicephalus sanguineus was the most prevalent species (49.50%), with a mean intensity of 6.44 +/- 10.2 Ixodidae/dog, followed by Amblyomma cajennense (3.96%), Boophilus microplus (2.97%), A. ovale, (1%) and A. aureolatum (1%). The ixodid nymphs were separated into a Amblyomminae nymphs (58.41%), with 10.11 +/- 10.09 nymphs/dog, and Rhipicephalinae nymphs (24.75%), with 2.64 +/- 3.25 nymphs/dog. Ixodid larvae were found on 3.96% of the dogs.