Two captive agoutis (Dasyprocta mexicana) died of anemia with centrilobular hepatocellular necrosis (2/2), severe flea
ectoparasitism (2/2), and cardiomegaly attributed to anemia (1/2). Other agoutis were similarly parasitized and one had anemia.
Fleas were manually removed and all agoutis treated topically with propoxur and selamectin and moved to another enclosure. No
additional cases of fatal anemia were seen. Cutaneous lesions suggestive of hypersensitivity were observed in three additional
agoutis with dorsal alopecia (3/3), a penetrating wound associated with pruritus and self-mutilation in the flank (2/3), flea
ectoparasitism at the time of morphologic diagnosis (1/3), and hyperplastic perivascular dermatitis (3/3). One of these died of
bacterial infection of thewound. Similar but milder skin diseasewas seen in 3 out of over 30 maras (Dolichotis patagonum) housed
inthe sameexhibit.Fleas collected fromallthe fatal agouticasesand maraswereclassified inthegenusEchidnophagabasedonthe
angular front margin of head, contracted thorax, absence of genal and pronotal combs, and the fact that fleas did not jump. These
findings suggest that flea ectoparasitism may be an important cause of morbidity and mortality in captive rodents.
# 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.