Notoedric and Sarcoptic Mange in Free-ranging Lynx from Switzerland

Abstract

Between March and December 1999, five free-ranging lynx (Lynx lynx) affected by mange were found dead or shot by game wardens in the Swiss Alps. In the first two cases, Notoedres cati was isolated from the skin; in the third and fourth case, Sarcoptes scabiei was the cause of the infection; and in the fifth case, a mixed infection was diagnosed. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) affected with sarcoptic mange and domestic cats infested with N. cati are likely to be the sources of infection. It seems improbable that mange will occur as an epidemic in lynx in Switzerland, but losses due to infections with N. cati and/or S. scabiei may have an impact on this small, geographically limited lynx population. This is the first report of notoedric mange in a free-ranging lynx and the first report of mange in lynx from Switzerland.

Pathology of Sarcoptic Mange in Red Foxes (Vulpes Vulpes): Macroscopic and Histologic Characterization of Three Disease Stages

“…This observation has also been reported in red foxes from other populations (Little et al, 1998;Bornstein et al, 1995Bornstein et al, , 2001, in lynx (Ryser-Degiorgis et al, 2002), in cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus; Caro et al, 1987), and in humans with crusted scabies (McCarthy et al, 2004). Activated lymph follicles are congruent with the cell-mediated immune response observed with severe mite infestation (Bornstein et al, 2001) and may also be related to secondary infections of the damaged skin.…”

“…Drastically decreasing fat deposits in association with mite infestation have been described in foxes (Gortá zar et al, 1998;Balestrieri et al, 2006), coyotes (Canis latrans) and wolves (Canis lupus; Todd et al, 1981), lynx (Ryser-Degiorgis et al, 2002), ibex (Leon-Vizcaino et al, 1999), and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra; Rossi et al, 2007). Newman et al (2002) reported reduced fat reserves together with accelerated muscle catabolism in foxes with severe hyperkeratotic mange and suggested that inappetence increases with severity of infestation.…”

“…Our findings support this suggestion since mangy foxes often had empty stomachs. However, loss of body condition might not only be the consequence of decreased appetite, since severely affected carnivores are known to look for easy food sources (Todd et al, 1981;Overskaug, 1994;Ryser-Degiorgis et al, 2002). Protein requirement may be increased during the formation of hyperkeratotic scabs (Arlian, 1989), and higher permeability of the damaged skin likely causes fluid loss (McGavin and Zachary, 2007b), which eventually leads to emaciation and dehydration (Pence and Ueckermann, 2002).…”

“…In wild canid populations, most affected animals present mild to severe encrustations with or without alopecia, whereas a small percentage show a thickened hairless skin without crusts (Pence et al, 1983;Newman et al, 2002). A particularly severe form, characterized by thick crusts on large parts of the body, is typically observed in free-ranging Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica, LeonVizcaino et al, 1999), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx; Ryser-Degiorgis et al, 2002), and wombats (Vombatus ursinus; Skerratt, 1998). Similar lesions sometimes occur in humans (Walton and Currie, 2007).…”

Is ITS-2 rDNA suitable marker for genetic characterization of Sarcoptes mites from different wild animals in different geographic areas?

“…Various wildlife species in turn were infected, often from contact with their domestic counterparts (Pence and Ueckermann, 2002). Sarcoptes mite infections are endemic in many European wild mammal populations, causing devastating mortality (up to>90%), reported especially from Alpine and Pyrenean chamois, Iberian ibex, aoudad and red fox, whereas only few cases have been reported in the stone marten, badger and roe deer (Ryser-Degiorgis et al, 2002;Gonzá lez-Candela et al, 2004;Rossi et al, 2007;Oleaga et al, 2008). Apparently, no epidemiological relationship exists, in Europe, between mange foci affecting wild ruminants, wild boars and carnivores.…”