Summary: | Sarcoptic mange caused by the mite <i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> is a worldwide-distributed skin infestation with a wide range of hosts, among them several species within the Felidae family. <i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> was diagnosed in a dead adult female European wildcat (<i>Felis silvestris silvestris</i>) from Spain, based on histological evaluation of skin biopsies and identification of the arthropod from skin scrapings and molecular methods. This is the first description of <i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> in a European wildcat. Due to its critical demography in the southernmost population of the Iberian Peninsula, the impacts of infectious diseases, including sarcoptic mange, as a new potential threat should be considered during disease surveillance programs of the species’ populations.
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