Ectoparásitos en caninos de los distritos de la zona climática norte de lima metropolitana

A total of 400 randomly selected Male and feMale dogs from 1 to 16 months of age were studied to determine ectoparasite prevalence in the San Juan de Lurigancho, San Martín de Forres, Comas and Independencia districts of northern Lima. Sampling took place during the austral summer, December 1998 to February 1999, when ambient temperature and relative humidity varied between 18-26.7C and 79-99%. Ectoparasite prevalence was extremely elevated, reaching 100% in Independencia, 99.0% in Comas, 98.2 % in San Martín de Porras and 98. 7% in San Juan de Lurigancho. The most common ectoparasites were íleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis 89.0% ± 3.1 and Pulex irritans 37.8% ± 4.8), followed by ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus 30.0% ± 4.5), lice (Heterodoxus spiniger9.3% ± 2.8) and mites (Demodex canis 3.8% ± 1.9). The extensive presence of íleas, especially C. fe lis fe lis, likely indicates that the elevated incidence of dermatological problems observed in the majority ofthe dogs studied is an allergic dermatitis produced by ílea bites.