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Updated: May 10, 2026
Identification of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Paraffin-Embedded Feline Arterial Thrombi using Immunofluorescence Microscopy
Published on: March 29, 2020
Feline trombiculosis: a retrospective study in 72 cats
Federico Leone1, Andrea Di Bella, Antonella Vercelli
1Clinica Veterinaria Adriatica, Senigallia, Ancona, Italy.
Background:
Trombiculosis is the infestation of a host by the larval form of mites belonging to the Trombiculidae family. Few data are available regarding this infestation in cats.
Hypothesis/Objectives:
The aim of this retrospective study was to report data, clinical signs, diagnostic and therapeutic features of feline trombiculosis.
Methods:
Clinical records of cats presented for dermatological examination or annual vaccination in Italy, from 2002 to 2012, were retrospectively searched using the key words trombiculosis, cat and Neotrombicula.
Results:
Seventy-two indoor/outdoor domestic short-hair cats with infestation by Neotrombicula autumnalis were enrolled. Pruritus was reported by the owners in 43% of cases, while 57% of cats were asymptomatic. The most common clinical signs included sudden onset of pruritus and the appearance of orange-coloured granules on the skin. Mites were found incidentally in 12 cats. The larvae were localized in multiple sites in 68% of cases. The most frequently affected area was the ear (80.5% of cases). Mites were more often identified in autumn (41 cases). Eleven cats were diagnosed during winter, 13 in spring and seven in summer.
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
This retrospective study suggests that feline trombiculosis is probably underestimated as a cause of pruritus and dermatological lesions. Epidemiological data regarding this infestation in cats are still lacking, and it will be interesting to perform a multicentre study to increase knowledge of this disease.
