Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools
Abstract Background Sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease of wild and domestic mammals caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Reports of sarcoptic mange in wildlife increased worldwide in the second half of the 20th century, especially since the 1990s. The aim of this study was to provide new...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3762-7 |
| _version_ | 1819150777812254720 |
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| author | Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano Fridolin Zimmermann Luca Rossi Simon Capt Ezgi Akdesir Roland Bürki Florin Kunz Francesco Carlo Origgi Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis |
| author_facet | Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano Fridolin Zimmermann Luca Rossi Simon Capt Ezgi Akdesir Roland Bürki Florin Kunz Francesco Carlo Origgi Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis |
| author_sort | Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease of wild and domestic mammals caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Reports of sarcoptic mange in wildlife increased worldwide in the second half of the 20th century, especially since the 1990s. The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the epidemiology of mange by (i) documenting the emergence of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the last decades in Switzerland; and (ii) describing its spatiotemporal spread combining data obtained through different surveillance methods. Methods Retrospective analysis of archived material together with prospective data collection delivered a large dataset from the 19th century to 2018. Methods included: (i) a review of historical literature; (ii) screening of necropsy reports from general health surveillance (1958–2018); (iii) screening of data on mange (1968–1992) collected during the sylvatic rabies eradication campaign; (iv) a questionnaire survey (<1980–2017) and (v) evaluation of camera-trap bycatch data (2005–2018). Results Sarcoptic mange in red foxes was reported as early as 1835 in Switzerland. The first case diagnosed in the framework of the general health surveillance was in 1959. Prior to 1980, sarcoptic mange occurred in non-adjacent surveillance districts scattered all over the country. During the period of the rabies epidemic (1970s-early 1990s), the percentage of foxes tested for rabies with sarcoptic mange significantly decreased in subregions with rabies, whereas it remained high in the few rabies-free subregions. Sarcoptic mange re-emerged in the mid-1990s and continuously spread during the 2000–2010s, to finally extend to the whole country in 2017. The yearly prevalence of mange in foxes estimated by camera-trapping ranged from 0.1–12%. Conclusions Sarcoptic mange has likely been endemic in Switzerland as well as in other European countries at least since the mid-19th century. The rabies epidemics seem to have influenced the pattern of spread of mange in several locations, revealing an interesting example of disease interaction in free-ranging wildlife populations. The combination of multiple surveillance tools to study the long-term dynamics of sarcoptic mange in red foxes in Switzerland proved to be a successful strategy, which underlined the usefulness of questionnaire surveys. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:22:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b5e2bc0d30bd495ea06ca49b01497ef6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:22:54Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b5e2bc0d30bd495ea06ca49b01497ef62022-12-21T18:22:57ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052019-11-0112111610.1186/s13071-019-3762-7Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance toolsSimone Roberto Rolando Pisano0Fridolin Zimmermann1Luca Rossi2Simon Capt3Ezgi Akdesir4Roland Bürki5Florin Kunz6Francesco Carlo Origgi7Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis8Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of BernKORA – Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife ManagementDipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di TorinoInfo Fauna, Swiss Centre for the Cartography of the FaunaSwiss Rabies Centre, Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), Vetsuisse Faculty, University of BernKORA – Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife ManagementKORA – Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife ManagementCentre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of BernCentre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI), Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of BernAbstract Background Sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease of wild and domestic mammals caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Reports of sarcoptic mange in wildlife increased worldwide in the second half of the 20th century, especially since the 1990s. The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the epidemiology of mange by (i) documenting the emergence of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the last decades in Switzerland; and (ii) describing its spatiotemporal spread combining data obtained through different surveillance methods. Methods Retrospective analysis of archived material together with prospective data collection delivered a large dataset from the 19th century to 2018. Methods included: (i) a review of historical literature; (ii) screening of necropsy reports from general health surveillance (1958–2018); (iii) screening of data on mange (1968–1992) collected during the sylvatic rabies eradication campaign; (iv) a questionnaire survey (<1980–2017) and (v) evaluation of camera-trap bycatch data (2005–2018). Results Sarcoptic mange in red foxes was reported as early as 1835 in Switzerland. The first case diagnosed in the framework of the general health surveillance was in 1959. Prior to 1980, sarcoptic mange occurred in non-adjacent surveillance districts scattered all over the country. During the period of the rabies epidemic (1970s-early 1990s), the percentage of foxes tested for rabies with sarcoptic mange significantly decreased in subregions with rabies, whereas it remained high in the few rabies-free subregions. Sarcoptic mange re-emerged in the mid-1990s and continuously spread during the 2000–2010s, to finally extend to the whole country in 2017. The yearly prevalence of mange in foxes estimated by camera-trapping ranged from 0.1–12%. Conclusions Sarcoptic mange has likely been endemic in Switzerland as well as in other European countries at least since the mid-19th century. The rabies epidemics seem to have influenced the pattern of spread of mange in several locations, revealing an interesting example of disease interaction in free-ranging wildlife populations. The combination of multiple surveillance tools to study the long-term dynamics of sarcoptic mange in red foxes in Switzerland proved to be a successful strategy, which underlined the usefulness of questionnaire surveys.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3762-7Sarcoptes scabieiScabiesRabiesCamera-trappingQuestionnaireNecropsy |
| spellingShingle | Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano Fridolin Zimmermann Luca Rossi Simon Capt Ezgi Akdesir Roland Bürki Florin Kunz Francesco Carlo Origgi Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools Parasites & Vectors Sarcoptes scabiei Scabies Rabies Camera-trapping Questionnaire Necropsy |
| title | Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| title_full | Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| title_fullStr | Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| title_short | Spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Switzerland over more than 60 years: lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| title_sort | spatiotemporal spread of sarcoptic mange in the red fox vulpes vulpes in switzerland over more than 60 years lessons learnt from comparative analysis of multiple surveillance tools |
| topic | Sarcoptes scabiei Scabies Rabies Camera-trapping Questionnaire Necropsy |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3762-7 |
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