Infestation Survey of Lynxacarus radovskyi on Feral Cats in the Northern Part of Okinawa Island, Japan

Abstract

To affirm the presence of Lynxacarus radovskyi, a total of 127 feral cats were investigated in Kunigami village on the northern tip of the main island of Okinawa, Japan. After a visual check and palpation of cats under general anesthesia, all samples collected by flea combing were examined microscopically to identify ectoparasites. The overall prevalence of ectoparasites on cats in this survey was 93.7% (119/127) (95% CI: 87.9‐97.0%). L. radovskyi was the second most common species with a prevalence of 12.6% (16/127) (95% CI: 7.8‐19.6%), second to fleas 93.7% (119/127) (95% CI: 87.9‐97.0%). Although almost no obvious skin symptoms were identified, all cats infested by this mite were observed with flea co-infestation. Our results show that L. radovskyi is distributed in the study area because the cats with L. radovskyi were confirmed at multiple locations in all seasons. Since this mite occasionally can be harmful to cats, it is necessary to be careful in Okinawa regarding it and other ectoparasites.