Downloaded from veterinaryrecord.bmj.com on February 14, 2014 - Published by group.bmj.com Short Communications Lipoptena cervi (deer ked) in two naturally infested dogs C. Hermosilla, N. Pantchev, R. Bachmann, C. Bauer Lipoptena cervi (Hippoboscidae, Diptera) is a haematophagous louse fly of deer found in Europe, North Asia and North America (Maa 1965, Kock 1974). Adults are either permanent ectoparasites or remain with the host for most of their life (Maa 1965, Büttiker 1994). There are a few reports that deer keds may also attack other animal species and human beings, and can cause persistent pruritic papules (Reunala and others 1980, Rantanen and others 1982, Wall and Shearer 2001). This short communication describes two cases of L cervi infestation in dogs in Germany. A 12-year-old female crossbred terrier was admitted to a local veterinary clinic in North Rhine Westphalia, Germany, in August 2004. The owner reported a one-month history of persistent diffuse erythema involving the abdominal region, with marked pruritus associated with loss of condition. No chronic history of seasonal flea allergy during the previous three months was reported. During clinical examination of the dog’s coat, brownish, wingless arthropods were detected moving on the skin. Superficial bacterial folliculitis was not observed in the affected areas. After combing the coat, additional specimens were collected in large quantities. Neither eggs nor larval stages were detected in the fur. The dog was treated with a topical pyrethroid (Exspot; Essex Pharma) and the following day only dead specimens were found in the hair of the animal. Amelioration of clinical signs was achieved one week after topical treatment. Four days later, a 12-year-old, male German shepherd dog was presented to the same veterinary clinic with paral- FIG 1: Partial dorsal view of Lipoptena cervi, showing the piercing mouthparts and compound eyes. x 40 ysis of the hindlegs due to a muscular tumour. During routine clinical examination, a large number of brownish, wingless, moving arthropods were detected on the skin of the right and left antebrachia. The owner reported no history of pruritus, and no cutaneous lesions were observed on the antebrachial skin. After combing the coat, further specimens were collected. The second dog was treated topically as above. Microscopic examination of the arthropods revealed dorsoventrally flattened, wingless insects, 3 to 4 mm in length, with piercing mouthparts (Fig 1). On the basis of the morphological features (Figs 2, 3), the ectoparasites were identified as adult L cervi. All specimens had engorged abdomens, indicating a successful blood meal during their stay on the dogs. Deer keds are not typical flies because of the adaptation of the adults to a permanent ectoparasitic life. Their life cycle is very unusual; both male and female L cervi take blood meals on the host and mate; the female then ovulates a single egg. The larva ecloses from the egg and is then retained and nourished in a uterus-like oviduct until almost ready to pupariate, when it is larviposited (Wall and Shearer 2001). The extruded larva pupates within a few hours and a winged adult emerges from the puparium after three to six weeks, depending on the ambient temperature. L cervi emerge from the puparia from early September to early December and fly off in search of deer. As soon as L cervi alights on a deer it begins to burrow through the fur, shedding the wings by breaking them off close to their base (Fig 3). The anamnesis of both dogs revealed that the animals lived near the eastern part of the Teutoburg Forest, an area with a Veterinary Record (2006) 159, 286-288 C. Hermosilla, DrMedVet, DipEVPC, C. Bauer, DrMedVet, DipEVPC, FIG 2: Terminal segments of the Lipoptena cervi tarsus, showing two long, sharply curved claws and a prominent pulvillus. x 100 FIG 3: Broken wing at the metathorax of Lipoptena cervi, showing partial wing venation (arrow). x 100 The Veterinary Record, August 26, 2006 Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, RudolfBuchheim-Strasse 2, 35392 Giessen, Germany N. Pantchev, DVM, Vet Med Labor, Postfach 1110, 71611 Ludwigsburg, Germany R. Bachmann, DrMedVet, Small Animal Clinic, Hermannstrasse 1, 32756 Detmold, Germany Downloaded from veterinaryrecord.bmj.com on February 14, 2014 - Published by group.bmj.com Short Communications stable roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population. Reports in the literature state that L cervi is not a host-specific ectoparasite of deer and may also attack other ruminants, horses and human beings (Bequaert 1942, Chitiakov 1968, Rantanen and others 1982, Büttiker 1994). The bite of L cervi is relatively painless to human beings, but may be followed by a pruriginous papule that remains intensively pruritic for two to three weeks (Rantanen and others 1982, Dehio and others 2004). Rantanen and others (1982) showed that skin tests with a L cervi whole-body extract antigen were positive in patients tested with deer ked dermatitis, indicating both immediate and delayed immune reactions. These findings suggest that allergic mechanisms may be involved in the pathogenesis of L cervi dermatitis. L cervi is also known to transmit Bartonella species, which commonly cause bacteraemia in ruminants (Halos and others 2004); however, the active role of Bartonella species in the aetiology of deer ked dermatitis is unclear (Dehio and others 2004). The lesions described here, at least in one of the infested dogs, resembled a chronic atopic dermatitis, suggesting the involvement of allergic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of deer ked bite reactions. L cervi infestation has been controlled in red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer by the administration of ivermectin (Kutzer 1988), but other related macrocyclic lactones such as moxidectin and doramectin can also be used. In the present cases, the topical administration of spot-on pyrethroid was successful. Attacks of alate L cervi can be prevented by avoiding forested areas during September to December, when L cervi fly, until the insects find their proper hosts. Deer keds superficially resemble ticks and might be mistakenly diagnosed as such by dog owners; however, deer keds, in contrast to ticks, are highly mobile and not firmly attached to the skin. Hunting dogs or animals that frequently walk through forested areas in the autumn should be examined regularly in order to minimise exposure to L cervi bites. In The Veterinary Record, August 26, 2006 view of these findings, L cervi infestation should be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of persistent pruritic dermatitis, flea allergy or other atopic cutaneous reactions. References BEQUAERT, J. (1942) A monograph of the Melophaginae, or ked-flies, of sheep, goats, deer and antelopes (Diptera, Hippoboscidae). Entomologica Americana 22, 1-220 BÜTTIKER, W. (1994) Lipopteninae. In Die Lausfliegen der Schweiz (Diptera, Hippoboscidae). Les Hippoboscides de Suisse (Diptera, Hippoboscidae). Vol 15. Eds Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune (CSCF). Schweizerisches Zentrum für die Kartographische Erfassung der Fauna (SZKF). Documenta Faunistica Helvetia. Neuchâtel, CSCF. pp 65-74 CHITIAKOV, A. F. (1968) Skin lesions in people due to bites of Lipoptena cervi. Vestnik Dermatologii i Venerologii 42, 59-62 (In Russian) DEHIO, C., SAUDER, U. & HIESTAND, R. (2004) Isolation of Bartonella schoenbuchensis from Lipoptena cervi, a blood-sucking arthropod causing deer ked dermatitis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 42, 5320-5323 HALOS, L., JAMAL, T., MAILLARD, R., GIRARD, B., GUILLOT, J., CHOMEL, B., VAYSSINER-TAUSSAT, M. & BOULOUIS, H. J. (2004) Role of hippoboscidae flies as potential vectors of Bartonella spp infecting wild and domestic ruminants. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, 6302-6305 KOCK, D. (1974) Pupipare Dipteren von Säugetieren des nördlichen Mittelmeerraumes. Senckenbergiana Biologica 55, 87-104 KUTZER, E. (1988) Ektoparasitenbekämpfung mit Ivermectin (Ivomec) bei Schalenwild (Rothirsch, Reh, Wildschwein). Mitteilungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Allgemeine und Angewandte Entomologie 6, 217-222 MAA, T. C. (1965) A synopsis of the Lipopteninae (Diptera, Hippoboscidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 2, 233-248 RANTANEN, T., REUNALA, T., VUOJOLAHTI, P & HACKMAN, W. (1982) Persistent pruritic papules from deer ked bites. Acta Dermato-Venereologica 62, 307-311 REUNALA, T., RANTANEN, T., VUOJOLAHTI, P. & HACKMAN, W. (1980) Deer ked dermatitis. Laaketieteellinen Aikakauskirja 96, 897-902 (In Finnish) WALL, R. & SHEARER, D. (2001) Veterinary Ectoparasites. 2nd edn. Oxford, Blackwells Downloaded from veterinaryrecord.bmj.com on February 14, 2014 - Published by group.bmj.com Lipoptena cervi (deer ked) in two naturally infested dogs C. Hermosilla, N. Pantchev, R. Bachmann, et al. Veterinary Record 2006 159: 286-287 doi: 10.1136/vr.159.9.286 Updated information and services can be found at: http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/159/9/286.citation These include: Email alerting service Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article. Sign up in the box at the top right corner of the online article. 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