Mange is a highly contagious zoonotic skin disease of mammals, which is caused by mites. The parasitic mites burrow into the animal's skin to reproduce. The burrowing of the mites into the skin results in intense itching, inflamed skin and hair loss. The skin of wild animals infected with mange will become thickened, wrinkled and covered in scabs and foul-smelling crusts, due to an overgrowth of normally occurring yeasts and bacteria. The entire body of the infected animal can be covered with skin lesions, however the face and ears are the most commonly affected areas. When the skin around the ears, eyes and mouth is involved, animals may experience loss of hearing, blindness and difficulty eating. Severely affected wildlife may become depressed, lethargic, emaciated and lose their fear of people. Untreated, mange is usually fatal. Hair loss may result in the animal freezing to death during the winter months. In the warmer weather, scratching can result in open wounds that can become infected. A mange infected animal can starve to death, because it eventually won't be able to see to hunt for food. The red fox is typically the most severely affected wild animal and often dies of this disease. The carcasses of mange infected wildlife are usually hairless and emaciated. To avoid the spread of the highly contagious skin disease, animals infected with mange are avoided by their own family. There are four major categories of mange that affect wildlife and are caused by different species of mites. Sarcoptic mange is caused by Sacroptes Scabiei, Demodectic mange in wildlife is caused by two species of mites from the genus Demodex. Demodectic mange usually manifests only in animals with compromised immune systems and has been reported in elk, white-tailed deer and mule deer. Notoedric mange is caused by Notoedres Centrifera. Thirteen named species of Notoedres have been described from carnivores, bats, grey squirrels, rodents and rabbits. Notoedric mange does not infect humans, but will infect both domestic and wild cats. Notoedric mange has caused a population decline in bobcats in California. A fourth form of mange, Knemidocoptic mange is caused by Knemidocoptes Pilae and mites from this genus infect only birds. Sarcoptic mange is the most common form of mange found in wildlife and it can cause scabies in humans. Animal trappers, wildlife rehabilitators, animal herders, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, researchers, and pet owners are at great risk of contracting scabies from an infected animal. Sarcoptic mange mites burrow and form tunnels in the epidermal layer of the skin. Female mites lay their eggs within these tunnels and within three days, the eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae will either move to the surface of the skin, or remain in the tunnels. In three to four days, the larvae develops into nymphs. The nymphs will either remain in the tunnels, wander onto the surface of the skin, or create new tunnels in the epidermal layer of the skin. The nymphs will develop into adult mites within five to seven days. Transfer of mites to a new host occurs when they come into direct physical contact with an uninfected host. Larvae and nymphs wandering on the surface of the skin can also fall off and survive in the environment for several weeks. A new host animal can become infected by coming in contact with an area contaminated with mites, which happens when animals share nests and burrows. The life cycle and transmission of Notoedric mites is similar to that of Sarcoptic mites. Sarcoptic mange has been reported in more than one hundred species of wild and domestic animals. Sarcoptic mange is often seen in wild canids such as gray wolves, red wolves, coyotes and red foxes. Sarcoptic mange is also seen in squirrels, porcupines, rabbits, black bears, skunks and raccoons. Ivermectin has been used to treat many different domestic and wild animal species with success and is the drug of choice for treatment of Sarcoptic mange.
