Bollez Anouck, de Rooster Hilde, Furcas Alessandra, Vandenabeele Sophie
Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
J Feline Med Surg. 2018 Feb;20(2):149-154. doi: 10.1177/1098612X17700808. Epub 2017 Apr 4.
Objectives Feline otitis externa is a multifactorial dermatological disorder about which very little is known. The objective of this study was to map the prevalence of external ear canal disorders and the pathogens causing otitis externa in stray cats roaming around the region of Ghent, Belgium. Methods One hundred and thirty stray cats were randomly selected during a local trap-neuter-return programme. All cats were European Shorthairs. This study included clinical, otoscopic and cytological evaluation of both external ears of each cat. Prospective data used as parameters in this study included the sex, age and body condition score of each cat, as well as the presence of nasal and/or ocular discharge, and the results of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) Snap tests. Results Remarkably, very few (sub)clinical problems of the external ear canal were found in the stray cat population. Malassezia species was by far the most common organism found in the external ear canals of the 130 stray cats. A total of 96/130 (74%) cats were found to have Malassezia species organisms present in one or both ears based on the cytological examination. No correlation was found between the parameters of sex, age, body condition score, the presence of nasal and/or ocular discharge and FIV and FeLV status, and the presence of parasites, bacteria or yeasts. Conclusions and relevance This study provides more information about the normal state of the external ear canal of stray cats. The ears of most stray cats are relatively healthy. The presence of Malassezia species organisms in the external ear canal is not rare among stray cats.
目的 猫外耳炎是一种多因素皮肤病，对此了解甚少。本研究的目的是绘制比利时根特地区流浪猫外耳道疾病的患病率以及导致外耳炎的病原体。方法 在当地的诱捕-绝育-放归计划中随机挑选了130只流浪猫。所有猫均为欧洲短毛猫。本研究包括对每只猫的双耳进行临床、耳镜和细胞学评估。本研究中用作参数的前瞻性数据包括每只猫的性别、年龄和身体状况评分，以及是否存在鼻和/或眼分泌物，以及猫免疫缺陷病毒（FIV）和猫白血病病毒（FeLV）快速检测结果。结果 值得注意的是，在流浪猫群体中发现的外耳道（亚）临床问题非常少。马拉色菌属是130只流浪猫外耳道中迄今为止最常见的生物体。根据细胞学检查，总共96/130（74%）只猫的一只或两只耳朵中发现有马拉色菌属生物体。在性别、年龄、身体状况评分、鼻和/或眼分泌物的存在以及FIV和FeLV状态等参数与寄生虫、细菌或酵母菌的存在之间未发现相关性。结论及意义 本研究提供了关于流浪猫外耳道正常状态的更多信息。大多数流浪猫的耳朵相对健康。外耳道中存在马拉色菌属生物体在流浪猫中并不罕见。
