Flea product efficacy, pet owners' adherence and treatment failure: what's the connection?

Successful flea control relies mainly on the use of effective anti-flea products and the adherence of pet owners to treatment recommendations. When flea infestations continue to persist, despite the application of a potent flea product, lack of efficacy may be suspected. This study evaluated whether common flea products are still effective. As compliance is also critical, the impacts of owners' adherence on treatment success were also investigated, with a view to giving recommendations for improvement. The authors tested the hypothesis that when treatment failure occurs, perceived inefficacy of anti-flea products is caused by poor compliance. Searches were carried out in PubMed and CAB Abstracts, with abstracts screened against predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, eleven studies on efficacy and seven studies on adherence were included in the analysis. All anti-flea products included in the study, with the exception of fipronil-S methoprene and possibly selamectin, appear to be effective in treating and preventing flea infestations in dogs and cats. With the majority of pet owners failing to adhere to recommendations, all veterinary staff should be proactive in providing rationale for the use of anti-flea products and reassure owners of their effectiveness to maximise compliance.

Dynamics and optimal control in transmission of tungiasis diseases

This paper aims to model the transmission of tungiasis disease and assess the optimal control schemes to stop its occurrence. Based on the development stage of fleas and propagation process of diseases, we propose a human-flea model without control, in which the susceptible-infected in latent stage-infectious populations and the egg-larva-pupa-adult stage of fleas are all in involved. In the light of the Lyapunov function method, we prove global stability of equilibria. The model is extended by reformulating it as an optimal control problem, with the use of four time-dependent controls, to assess the impact of individual protection, treatment and two flea control strategies (killing adult fleas and reduction of eggs and larvae). By using Pontryagin’s maximum principle, we characterize the optimal control. Using the data of human and flea in Brazil and Nigeri, numerical simulations are performed. The numerical results show that enhancing the protection and treatment of people and increasing the killing efficacy of flea adults would contribute to prevent and control the spread of the disease appreciably.

Flea infestation: a snapshot on the common products and the reasons for treatment failure

The reasons why flea infestations remain frequent in companion animals despite the considerable number of anti-flea products is of interest. Successful flea control relies mainly on the use of effective anti-flea products and pet owners adhering to treatment recommendations. When flea infestations continue to persist despite the application of a potent anti-flea product, lack of efficacy may be suspected. In this article, the basics of flea biology and impact of flea infestation on the host are summarised. In addition, the factors that can result in ineffective treatment and control of flea infestation are discussed. Better understanding of the possible reasons can help to inform clinical practice and avoid treatment failures.

Effect of a combination of permethrin and diesel oil on Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ctenocephalides canis in experimentally infested dogs

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Brown dog tick) and Ctenocephalides canis (dog and cat flea) cause heavy economic burden for dog owners in Nsukka, south-east, Nigeria, and are also major cause of vector-borne diseases worldwide. A total of 40 apparently healthy dogs were randomly assigned to 3 groups (A, B and C) and experimentally infested with Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ctenocephalides canis. Each dog in Group A (n = 10) was treated with a mixture of permethrin and diesel oil while Groups B (n = 6) and C (n = 4) were treated with permethrin and diesel oil respectively. The remaining dogs in each group served as controls. Parasites were counted 48th hour post-treatment and efficacy estimated as percentage reduction in live parasites in treated groups compared to untreated groups. In Group A the average percentage efficacy was 99.7% while in groups B and C it was 98.3% and 72.1% respectively for R. sanguineus, Geometric mean of live parasites between treated and control groups was significantly different (p<0.05) for every day in Groups A, B and C. Tick and flea numbers can be reduced in dogs by the application of diesel oil as an acaricide. Keywords: Dogs; tick and flea control; diesel fuel oil; permethrin.

Efficacy of afoxolaner in the flea control in experimentally infested cats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a single dose of oral afoxolaner in controlling fleas in cats. Fourteen cats were used. The cats were given identification numbers, housed individually, artificially infested with Ctenocephalides felis felis, and treated (or not) with afoxolaner. Were divided into a treatment group and a control group (n = 7/group), on the basis of the fleas count hours after an infestation applied on Day (one-by-one allocation after ordering by count). At the start of the experimental protocol (designated day 0), the treated group received afoxolaner in a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg and the control group animals received a placebo. All animals were infested with 100 C. felis felis fleas two days before day 0, as well as on days 5, 12, 19, 26, 33, 40, 47, 54, and 63, parasite loads being evaluated at 48 h after each infestation. The efficacy of afoxolaner was 100% on day 2 and remained above 98% until day 42, decreasing to 95.3% by day 63. The findings confirm that a single dose of oral afoxolaner was effective in controlling C. felis felis in cats, and there were no observed adverse events.

First detection of the kdr mutation (L1014F) in the plague vector Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Background The oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, is the most efficient vector of the plague. Pyrethroid insecticides such as cypermethrin, cyhalothrin and deltamethrin have been often used to limit plague transmission via controlling the vector during outbreaks. However, this strategy is threatened by the development of insecticide resistance. Understanding the mechanisms underlying pyrethroid resistance is the prerequisite for successful flea control. Methods Partial DNA sequences of X. cheopis voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene were amplified from a total of 111 individuals, collected from a natural plague epidemic foci in Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. These DNA fragments were sequenced. The frequency and distribution of kdr mutations were assessed in four X. cheopis populations. The origin of kdr mutations was investigated by phylogenetic and network analysis. Results The classical knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation (L1014F) was detected in four field populations at frequencies ranging between 0.021–0.241. The mutant homozygote was observed only in one of the four populations. Seven haplotypes were identified, with two of them carrying the resistance L1014F mutation. Phylogenetic tree and network analysis indicated that the L1014F allele was not singly originated. Based on polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) profiling, an easy-to-use and accurate molecular assay for screening individual fleas for the L1014F mutation was developed. Conclusions To our knowledge, this work represents the first report of the L1014F mutation in the plague vector X. cheopis. The incidence of the L1014F allele highlights the need of further studies on the phenotypic effect of this mutation in this plague vector. Early detection and monitoring of insecticide resistance is suggested in order to make effective control strategies in case of plague outbreaks in this region.

Canine flea control: too much choice?

Ectoparasite control forms an important part of any routine canine health programme but is also an integral part of the management of pruritic skin disease in the dog. As such it is important that veterinary surgeons are aware of the life cycle of the flea and the mode of action of the numerous flea control products that are currently available. The suitability of a product may be different depending on the health status of the dog and concurrent therapy. This article considers the most important groups of flea control products.

Canine flea control — what the veterinary nurse needs to know

Ectoparasite control forms an important part of any routine canine health programme. The veterinary nurse is well placed to advise clients about appropriate flea control starting with their first interaction with a client at the puppy clinic, through to their pet's routine yearly health checks. Nurses with a special interest in dermatology who run practice dermatology clinics also need to advise clients about flea control as part of an integrated strategy to control their pet's skin problems. As such it is important that the veterinary nurse is aware of the life cycle of the flea and the mode of action of the numerous products that are currently available.