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Sarcoptic Mange is an Emerging Threat to Biodiversity in the Qinling Mountains in China
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  • Qiaoxing Wu,
  • Liang Chen,
  • Qiqi Zhang,
  • Xuelin Jin,
  • Liubin Tang,
  • Xueli Zhang,
  • Yuqiang Liu,
  • Jun’an Li,
  • Junfeng Pei,
  • Qifeng Zhu,
  • Shiyu Jin,
  • Qingxia Zhao,
  • Jie Shen,
  • Zemin Zhao,
  • Yipeng Jin,
  • Hongxuan He,
  • Xiangyang Gu,
  • Minghai Yang
Qiaoxing Wu
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Liang Chen
State Forestry Administration
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Qiqi Zhang
State Forestry Administration
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Xuelin Jin
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Liubin Tang
State Forestry Administration
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Xueli Zhang
State Forestry Administration
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Yuqiang Liu
State Forestry Administration
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Jun’an Li
State Forestry Administration
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Junfeng Pei
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Qifeng Zhu
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Shiyu Jin
Northwest University
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Qingxia Zhao
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Jie Shen
State Forestry Administration
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Zemin Zhao
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Yipeng Jin
Chinese Academy of Sciences Xi'an Branch
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Hongxuan He
Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Xiangyang Gu
Huadong Medicine Co Ltd
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Minghai Yang
State Forestry Administration
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Abstract

Sarcoptic mange, a disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is globally endemic and an emerging threat to wildlife. Although many studies have shown that wildlife diseases play key roles in biodiversity conservation, knowledge about sarcoptic mange is still insufficient. In this study, we aim to improve the understanding of the impacts of sarcoptic mange on wildlife populations, the mechanisms involved in its ecoepidemiology, and the associated risks to public and ecosystem health by investigating mass death events in gorals and serows in the Qinling Mountains. We conducted interviews with practitioners and local people in the central Qinling Mountains. From the same locations, we collected 24 cutaneous samples from various animals and surveillance data from infrared cameras. Pathological, parasitological and microbiological examinations of the samples were performed. Mite-induced cutaneous lesions, mites and eggs were observed in samples from dead gorals and one dead serow, but not in other species. Molecular analysis confirmed the mites to be S. scabiei that originated from rabbits. The data obtained from the interviews and infrared cameras indicated that the death of wildlife was related to sarcoptic mange infection and that there had been a decrease in the goral population since the outbreak of the disease. We confirmed that sarcoptic mange was the major cause of the mass death events and may have spread from the western to eastern Qinling Mountains. Based on our findings, we propose several protection strategies to help preserve biodiversity in the Qinling Mountains.
01 Jul 2022Submitted to Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
01 Jul 2022Submission Checks Completed
01 Jul 2022Assigned to Editor
02 Jul 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
18 Jul 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Jul 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Major
15 Sep 20221st Revision Received
15 Sep 2022Submission Checks Completed
15 Sep 2022Assigned to Editor
16 Sep 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
03 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
04 Oct 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
09 Oct 20222nd Revision Received
10 Oct 2022Submission Checks Completed
10 Oct 2022Assigned to Editor
10 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Oct 2022Editorial Decision: Accept
28 Oct 2022Published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 10.1111/tbed.14741