The treatment of sarcoptic mange in wildlife: a systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundSarcoptic mange, caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite, is an infectious disease of wildlife, domestic animals and humans with international importance. Whilst a variety of treatment and control methods have been investigated in wildlife, the literature is fragmented and lacking consensus. The primary objectives of this review were to synthesise the diverse literature published on the treatment of sarcoptic mange in wildlife from around the world, and to identify the qualities of successful treatment strategies in both captive and free-roaming wildlife.MethodsA systematic search of the electronic databases CAB Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and Discovery was undertaken. Data pertaining to study design, country, year, species, study size, mange severity, treatment protocol and outcomes were extracted from eligible studies and placed in a table. Following data extraction, a decision tree was used to identify studies suitable for further analysis based on the effectiveness of their treatment protocol, whether they were conducted on captive or non-captive wildlife, and the quality of their post-treatment monitoring period.ResultsTwenty-eight studies met our initial inclusion criteria for data collection. Of these studies, 15 were selected for further analysis following application of the decision tree. This comprised of 9 studies on captive wildlife, 5 studies on free-living wildlife and 1 study involving both captive and free-living wildlife. Ivermectin delivered multiple times via subcutaneous injection at a dose between 200–400 µg/kg was found to be the most common and successfully used treatment, although long-term data on post-release survival and re-infection rates was elusive.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this review is the first to demonstrate that multiple therapeutic protocols exist for the treatment of sarcoptic mange in wildlife. However, several contemporary treatment options are yet to be formally reported in wildlife, such as the use of isoxazoline chemicals as a one-off treatment. There is also a strong indication for more randomised controlled trials, as well as improved methods of post-treatment monitoring. Advancing this field of knowledge is expected to aid veterinarians, wildlife workers and policy makers with the design and implementation of effective treatment and management strategies for the conservation of wildlife affected by sarcoptic mange.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3340-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recommendations for the management of sarcoptic mange in free–ranging Iberian ibex populations

“…In the Iberian Peninsula, attempts to control sarcoptic mange outbreaks in ibex and chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica parva) (Fernández-Morán et al, 1997) by dispersing feed treated with Ivermectin is a commonly used management strategy. Taking into account results in other species (Rowe et al, 2019), we believe that this strategy is impractical as to date there is no proof as to its effectiveness. In fact, treatment with Ivermectin is likely not warranted until designed studies have demonstrated its efficacy in free-ranging Iberian ibex populations.…”

“…Based on the above, we believe that in free-ranging species the application of uncontrolled antiparasitic treatment is inappropriate since evidence of proven efficacy is lacking and there is no solid scientific base to support its use as a management measure. Until such scientific support is obtained, this type of management measure should be limited exclusively to the control of sarcoptic mange in captive wildlife (Rowe et al, 2019) or domestic livestock sharing territory with the ibex, thereby ensuring the safe and efficient control of a significant risk factor for the ibex population (Granados, 2001). On the other hand, it will be interesting to evaluate the efficacy of the new generation of isoxazoline parasiticides as an alternative to the use of macrocyclic lactones in the treatment of sarcoptic mange in ibex (Van Wick and Hashem, 2019).…”

Comment on: “The treatment of sarcoptic mange in wildlife: a systematic review”

“…Recently, Rowe and colleagues have published an interesting review of the treatment of sarcoptic mange (hereafter "scabies") in wildlife [1]. This review highlighted the impact of this worldwide distributed parasitic disease and pointed out the need for consensus in the implementation of effective treatment of captive and free-ranging wildlife affected by scabies.…”

“…After the systematic review of 2205 publications, Rowe et al [1] kept 28 relevant articles reporting pharmacological effective treatments of scabies in wildlife, notably ivermectin delivered multiple times via subcutaneous injection. Most of these studies share a clinical treatment approach rather than population-based disease management.…”

“…Parasites & Vectors *Correspondence: luca.rossi@unito.it 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Universitá di Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy Full list of author information is available at the end of the article populations. For example, the studies of Skerratt et al [9] and Ruykys et al [10] were largely conducted on wombats (Vombatus ursinus and Lasiorhinus latifrons, respectively) kept in captivity until their recovery.…”