Veterinary Parasitology, 51 (1994) 337-343 337

0304-4017/94/$07.00 © 1994 - Elsevier Science B.V. All fights reserved

Short Communication

Generalised demodicosis in a Friesian heifer from

a zero-grazing unit

Paul G. Mbuthia a,*, David I. Kariuki b, Charles M. Mulei b

aDepartment of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya
bDepartment of Clinical Studies, Faculty of VeterinaryMedicine, Universityof Nairobi,
P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya
(Accepted 30 March 1993)

Abstract

A Friesian heifer with generalised skin lesions was slaughtered after unsuccessful treatment. It had
thickened skin with lumps and nodules, with the severely affected parts thrown into folds over the
eyelids, ears, most of the head, neck, legs and perineal area. The affected skin was soft and squamous
in appearance. On postmortem examination, all the skin layers were affected and were 10-22 mm
thick. There was also lymphadenopathy. Histological examination showed the presence of dermatitis
characterised by follicular inflammation. Multiple follicular cysts with keratin squames and numer-
ous demodectic mites were seen. Some mites had migrated to the peripheral lymph nodes causing
eosinophilic lymphadenitis and panniculitis of the subcutis.

Key words: Demodex sp.; Cattle-Arthropoda

Introduction

Skin follicular inflammation may be due to various agents, such as fungi,

bacteria, allergy, seborrhoeic dermatitis and parasites like Demodex (Jubb et
al., 1985). Demodectic mange infestation in cattle has a worldwide distribu-
tion (Dempsey, 1954; Blood et al., 1983; Jubb et al., 1985) and is especially
common in adult animals which are in confinement (Blood et al., 1983 ). The
lesions are most commonly found on the brisket, lower neck, foreleg and
shoulders (Blood et al., 1983; Jubb et al., 1985 ). In most cases the lesions are
difficult to see externally and only the more advanced ones are easily diag-
nosed (Murray et al., 1976). The lesions interfere with industrial processing
of the hide and limit its use (Dempsey, 1954; Bwangamoi, 1969; Blood et al.,
1983 ). Demodicosis expresses itself as a clinical or subclinical disease (Smith,
1961 ) which is local or generalised in nature (Jubb et al., 1985 ).

*Corresponding author.
SSDI 0 3 0 4 - 4 0 1 7 ( 9 3 ) 0 0 5 1 7 - 3
338 P.G. Mbuthia et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343

Although multiple Demodex lesions commonly occur in cattle, the infesta-

tion has not been found to produce a disease similar to the generalised canine
form (Jubb et al., 1985 ). This communication concerns a unique case ofge-
neralised demodicosis in a 2-year-old zero-grazed heifer. (Zero grazing is an
animal husbandry system practised in eastern Africa (tropics), in which ani-
mals are housed throughout the year and fed on untreated forage harvested
from the farm daily. )

Materials and methods

A 2-year-old Friesian heifer in a zero-grazing unit was examined and treated

in the field for a skin disease. It was later referred to the University of Nairobi
Veterinary Clinic where it was eventually slaughtered owing to the deteriora-
tion of its condition.
On admission to the clinic, the following samples were taken: whole blood
in ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) for haematology; thick and thin
blood and lymph node smears for haemoparasites; faecal contents for egg
counts and skin scrapings. During necropsy, tissues were taken for histology,
fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed and embedded in paraffin wax.
Sections were cut at a thickness of 5-7/~m then stained with haematoxylin
and eosin and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS). Pieces of lungs, liver, spleen, in-
testines and skin were submitted for bacterial culture. Squash smears were
made from the severely affected nodular skin lesions and treated with 10%
potassium hydroxide and examined under a Leitz microscope for parasites.

Results

The skin lesions observed in the field were on the face and ears, and were
characterised by excessive dandruff formation, skin thickening and pruritus.
The heifer was infested with ticks and the condition was initially diagnosed
as tick allergy. Treatment comprised a parenteral injection of 106 IU procaine
penicillin and 2 g dihydrostreptomycin and 15 mg dexamethasone on alter-
nate days for 4 days. In addition, the animal was sprayed with Amitraz (Tria-
tix ®, Copper Kenya Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya) once a week. This relieved the
symptoms, but 2 weeks after the cessation of treatment the skin lesions reap-
peared in a more severe form. Seven weeks after the initial examination the
animal was referred to the University of Nairobi Veterinary Clinic.
On admission to the clinic, it was found that the lesions had spread to the
whole body, but were most marked on the head, neck, all parts of the legs,
perineal and inguinal regions (Fig. 1 ). The ears were extremely thickened
and thrown into folds and the eyelids were swollen, obscuring the eyesight of
the animal (Fig. 2). All the peripheral lymph nodes were increased in size
and readily palpable under the skin. The severely affected areas of the skin
P.G. Mbuthia et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343 339

Fig. 1. A 2-year-old Friesian heifer with generalised demodicosis.

Fig. 2. The head and neck regions of a heifer with generalised demodicosis (see Fig. 1), showing
thickened, folded, squamous and alopecic skin over the ears, eyes and neck region.

were alopecic, swollen, soft and s q u a m o u s in appearance and there were su-
perficial wounds and ulcers over the articular surfaces (Figs. 1 and 2 ). In the
less affected areas there were lumps and nodules under the skin. The animal
was dull and in poor b o d y condition b u t had a good appetite. Within a few
days the animal developed mild diarrhoea, b e c a m e very weak and recum-
bent. It was slaughtered because o f poor prognosis and on humanitarian
grounds.
340 P.G. Mbuthm et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343

Gross pathology

The carcass was pale, dehydrated with rough hair coat and infested with
numerous ticks and fleas. The whole skin was severely affected and varied in
thickness from a few apparently normal areas to areas 10-22 m m thick. The
cut surface of the thickened skin was greyish-cream in colour, squamous and
formed numerous minute nodules about 1-2 m m in diameter. The contents
of these nodules were thick, waxy or caseous-like materials. Not all the layers
of the skin were affected equally: the dermis and subcutis were more affected
than the epidermis (Fig. 3 ). Superficial lymph nodes were enlarged (three to
four times the normal size) and oedematous. Other lesions were conjunctiv-
itis, congested lungs with hydatid cysts, watery intestinal contents, valvular
endocardiosis and a foreign body in the rumen.

Histopathology

There was mild to moderate hyperkeratosis, irregular acanthosis with rete

peg formation on the hairy parts of the epidermis. In the dermis there was
mild mononuclear perivascular cuffing (lymphocytes, macrophages, few mast
cells) with a few eosinophils. There were multiple follicular cysts occupying
most of the dermis and part of the subcutis. The hair follicles were full of
demodectic mites, keratin material and tissue debris, transforming the folli-
cles into large cystic structures (Fig. 3). The cysts were lined by a flattened
squamous epithelium (one to four cells) surrounding the keratin squames,
debris and the mites (Fig. 3, insert). Occasional rupture of the mite-infested
hair follicles elicited a pyo-granulomatous furunculosis characterised by nu-
merous macrophages, epithelioid cells, lymphocytes, plasma cells, neutro-
phils and eosinophils. No mites were seen in the sebaceous or apocrine sweat
glands.
The subcutaneous tissue and fat surrounding prescapular and parotid lymph
nodes were infiltrated by mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and macrophages)
and giant cells (foreign body and langhans types ). The fat cells in the subcutis
had also degenerated. The lymph node capsule, cortical and medullary sin-
uses were swollen, oedematous and had a mixture of neutrophils and eosino-
phils. Lesions in other organs were interstitial pneumonia, mild hepatitis, fo-
cal granulomatous nephritis, numerous sarcocysts in muscles (4-30 cysts per
field, × 10 magnification) and non-suppurative meningo-encephalitis.
PAS staining revealed Demodex mites on the peri-lymphoid fat tissue, the
hair follicles and the epidermal openings of the hair follicles. Numerous De-
modex mites were observed in the KOH-treated skin tissues and skin squash
smears (Fig. 3, insert). However, no mites were observed in the initial skin
scrapings which may indicate that these scrapings were taken superficially.
The skin scrapings were negative for fungus and streptothricosis. Few cocci-
P.G. Mbuthia et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343 341

Fig. 3. A histological section (H&E, magnification X 40) through the affected ear skin, showing
multiple follicular cysts containing numerous Demodex boris mites, keratin squames and de-
bris. Insert: typical Demodex bovis observed on KOH treatment.

dia a n d strongyle eggs were observed in the faecal contents. There were no
significant findings in the bacterial culture.
Blood a n d l y m p h n o d e smears were negative for a n y h a e m o p a r a s i t e s . T h e
342 P. G. Mbuthia et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343

blood picture showed eosinophilia, neutrophilia, low packed cell volume and
low total plasma protein levels.

Discussion

Demodectic mange, sarcoptic mange and ticks are among the most com-
mon parasitic causes of skin diseases (Dempsey, 1954; Jubb et al., 1985 ).
Demodex mites are normal inhabitants of hair follicles or sebaceous glands in
all species of domestic animals and humans. Demodex boris is regarded as the
species affecting cattle, although there are no morphological differences be-
tween Demodex which infest various animal species (Jubb et al., 1985 ). The
mites in this case were only found in the hair follicles and in their openings in
the epidermis, except where there was a rupture of the hair follicles, leading
to furunculosis and panniculitis. No parasites were found in the sebaceous
glands or apocrine sweat glands despite the massive infestation. However,
there were mites on the capsule of the superficial lymph nodes possibly fol-
lowing migration of live mites from the occasional instances of ruptured hair
follicles.
Demodex bovis is transmitted by direct contact with diseased animals
(Wetzel, 1958; Blood et al., 1983) and no transmission has been demon-
strated between individual adult cattle other than from cows to their nursing
calves (Fisher, 1973; Everett et al., 1977; Fisher et al., 1980). Therefore, the
present infestation might have been acquired from the dam during the early
postnatal period. Generally, there is a long period before the colonies can de-
velop to detectable sizes with clinical disease (Everett et al., 1977 ) and where
acaricides are used the spread of infestation is greatly reduced (Mullowney,
1986). This heifer was in a zero-grazing unit where acaricides are not fre-
quently used. Lack of use of acaricides, as evidenced by the presence of ticks
and fleas on the heifer, tropical heat, and the poor state of the animal, coupled
with the use of dexamethasone could have resulted in the generalised infes-
tation. Tick infestations, like the steroids treatment, are known to cause im-
munosuppression (Wikel, 1985 ). In the late stages of the disease, the animal
started to react to the mite infestation as expressed by an increase in eosino-
phils. Ticks, fleas and malnutrition may have caused the anaemic picture ob-
served, while intestinal malabsorption may account for the mild diarrhoea.
Demodectic mites are known to invade superficial lymph nodes. This might
explain the acute lymphadenitis, steatitis and panniculitis observed. The non-
purulent meningo-encephalitis and mild interstitial pneumonia seen histolog-
ically suggest that there was a concurrent mild viral infection, probably a re-
sult of various stressing factors. No attempt was made to isolate any virus as
there were no clinical signs to suggest viral infection.
The severity of this infestation shows that demodicosis can be a threat to
cattle, especially when tick control is relaxed. We believe that this is the first
P.G. Mbuthia et al. / Veterinary Parasitology 51 (1994) 337-343 343

documented report of a severe case of generalised demodicosis involving cat-

tle in Kenya.

Acknowledgements

The technical help given by the staff of the Departments of Clinical Studies
and Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology is greatly appreciated.

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