Zoonotic Episodes of Scabies: A Global Overview

Abstract

Zoonotic scabies (ZS), also referred to as “pseudoscabies”, is considered a self-limiting disease with a short incubation period and transient clinical skin signs. It is commonly thought that Sarcoptes scabiei mites from animals are unable to successfully reproduce and persist on human skin; however, several ZS case reports have mentioned the persistence of symptoms and occasionally mites for weeks. The aim of this review was to collect and organize the sparse literature explicitly referring to S. scabiei zoonotic transmission, focusing on the source of the outbreak, the circumstances leading to the transmission of the parasite, the diagnosis including the identification of the Sarcoptes “strain” involved, and the applied treatments. A total of 46 articles, one conference abstract and a book were collected describing ZS cases associated with twenty animal hosts in five continents. Dogs were by far the most common source among pet owners, while diverse livestock and wildlife contributed to the caseload as an occupational disease. Genetic epidemiological studies of ZS outbreaks are still limited in number, but tools are available to fill this knowledge gap in the near future. Further research is also needed to understand the apparent heterogeneity in the morbidity, disease severity and timing of the response to treatment among people infected with different animal-derived strains.

Diseases of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)

“…Cross-transmission related to predation and scavenging with the establishment of specific predator/scavenger-prey cycles has also been documented (Gakuya et al 2011 ; Oleaga et al 2011 ; Matsuyama et al 2019 ). Being a zoonotic disease, cross-transmission between humans and different animal species also occurs, either directly or mediated through domestic animals, especially pets (Arlian et al 1984b ; Morsy et al 1994 ; Mitra et al 1995 ; Menzano et al 2004 ; Walton and Currie 2007 ; Rentería Solís et al 2014 ; Pisano et al 2019 ; Moroni et al 2022b ). Nevertheless, such interspecific transmissions among hosts from different taxa are usually self-limited both in the individual host and in the population and thus do not lead to outbreaks or demographic consequences.…”

Sarcoptic mange in Felidae: does Sarcoptes scabiei var. felis exist? A first molecular study

“…While sarcoptic mange may not always represent a threat to domestic animals, numerous cases resulted in zoonotic transmission to the owners or members of the family in contact with the infected cat [ 24 ]. Moreover, infection by Sarcoptes mites circulating in European carnivore communities can put additional pressure on species or populations of conservation concern, such as the Iberian lynx and the European wild cat (not included in this study).…”

Ivermectin Plasma Concentration in Iberian Ibex (Capra pyrenaica) Following Oral Administration: A Pilot Study

“…The rapid drop of plasma IVM concentration in Iberian ibex after a single oral dose found in this study, and the lack of published results on therapeutic trials with oral IVM in scabietic free-ranging individuals suggest caution in promoting the mass delivery of IVM medicated pellets as a measure to efficiently control sarcoptic mange at the individual and population level in this wild caprine. The epidemiological effects of partially ineffective treatment strategies could even be opposite, by lengthening the infective stage of the individuals affected by sarcoptic mange and therefore increasing the dissemination and spread of the disease (25), potentially to other mammal species too (12,49). Moreover, aspects such as the proportion of the target population actually receiving the treatment, the access to the drug by non-target species, and the environmental effects of the massive release of IVM in the environment, are still in need to be thoroughly investigated and controlled (8,10).…”