2019

Scabies Infects Wild Animals

In Latvia as well as elsewhere in the world, where rabies was once successfully managed, the number of wild animals infected with scabies has increased significantly in recent years.

If scabies affects a pet, a veterinarian can help. But wild animals that suffer from scabies often die. Usually, death occurs within a few months after the onset of the disease, but sometimes it may take a longer time.

Scabies itself is not deadly, but it significantly weakens the animal's immune system, making its victims susceptible to other diseases. Scabies is almost always followed by a secondary infection. In winter, animals suffering from scabies become sensitive to freezing, their ability to feed is reduced.

Often, scabies tends to become so widespread among wild animals that it becomes an epizootic - an animal infectious disease characterized by a massive and rapid spread of the disease among animals. One of such epizootics is now coming to an end in Latvia. When the population of infected animals becomes smaller, the spread of scabies itself decreases. Now the situation in our country has improved.

What is scabies?

By definition, scabies is an ectoparasitic disease that manifests itself as itching, progressing skin lesions and hair loss.

Scabies can be caused by many species of mites from different genera (Sarcoptes, Demodex, Notoedres, Psoroptes, Otodectes and other genera). These parasites are very small and can only be seen with a microscope.

Evolution has created its own species of Sarcoptes scabiei for almost every species of mammals (including humans). This does not mean, however, that these small parasites cannot torture 'foreign' species of animals for some time. However, to make the whole development process of these mites successful, each species of the parasite needs its own specific host species.

Sarcoptes scabiei in the host animal's skin

Like all other mites, also Sarcoptes scabiei belongs to subphylum Chelicerata. At our latitude, species of the Sarcoptes genus are the most common types of Sarcoptes scabiei. The scientific name of scabies - sarcoptosis - stems from the name of these parasites. Also, the human flour mite represents the Sarcoptes genus. 

Sarcoptes scabiei spends almost all of its life in the host animal's skin. The owner's skin serves as a house, a canteen and a nursery. Scabies kills slowly .. The areas affected by the disease are markedly distinct from the animal's body. The ugly skin lesions are caused by mite females. They gnaw into the upper layer of the skin (epidermis), forming cavities in it, where eggs are laid.

Six-legged larvae hatch from the eggs. Afterwards, there is a multi-step transformation process and a peculiar process of insemination, until in the end there are eight-legged, inseminated adult female mites. The only task of male individuals in this process is insemination of future females. Having done this, they die.

The proliferation and development of Sarcoptes scabiei is complicated, but relatively fast. Observations show that young animals are more often infested with scabies.

It does not spare anyone

Mammals pass these parasites to each other in different ways. Quite often it happens through direct contact. It should be noted that even after the death of the host animal, unless the ambient temperature drops below zero, mites can survive for a few more weeks in the remains of the skin of the corpse.

Very often, infestation occurs when confronted with places and things that have been in contact with the infected animal. That is how cave animals such as foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs collect mites from the walls of the cave visited by an infected animal.