The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (XI): the relationship between arthropod hypersensitivity and atopic dermatitis in the dog

The relationship between arthropod allergen hypersensitivity and the develo pment of canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is unclear. It has been shown that d ogs with AD are more likely to exhibit positive intradermal reactivity to f lea allergens than non-pruritic dogs from the same flea-endemic a graphic r egion. Also, dogs in a flea endemic region are four times more likely to su ffer from flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) and AD than from FAD alone. These r esults provide indirect evidence to support the hypothesis that, in the can ine species, atopy predisposes to the development of hypersensitivity to fl ea allergens and eventually to FAD. A causal relationship between insects o ther than fleas and canine AD has not been identified with certainty. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.