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. 2017 Dec 4;10(1):596.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-017-2542-5.

Histopathology, microbiology and the inflammatory process associated with Sarcoptes scabiei infection in the Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica

José Espinosa  1 , Arián Ráez-Bravo  2 , Jorge R López-Olvera  2 , Jesús M Pérez  3 , Santiago Lavín  2 , Asta Tvarijonaviciute  4 , Francisco J Cano-Manuel  5 , Paulino Fandos  6 , Ramón C Soriguer  7 , José Enrique Granados  5 , Diego Romero  8 , Roser Velarde  2
Affiliations

Histopathology, microbiology and the inflammatory process associated with Sarcoptes scabiei infection in the Iberian ibex, Capra pyrenaica

José Espinosa et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: Sarcoptic mange has been identified as the most significant infectious disease affecting the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica). Despite several studies on the effects of mange on ibex, the pathological and clinical picture derived from sarcoptic mange infestation is still poorly understood. To further knowledge of sarcoptic mange pathology, samples from ibex were evaluated from histological, microbiological and serological perspectives.

Methods: Samples of skin, non-dermal tissues and blood were collected from 54 ibex (25 experimentally infected, 15 naturally infected and 14 healthy). Skin biopsies were examined at different stages of the disease for quantitative cellular, structural and vascular changes. Sixteen different non-dermal tissues of each ibex were taken for histological study. Acetylcholinesterase and serum amyloid A protein levels were evaluated from blood samples from ibex with different lesional grade. Samples of mangy skin, suppurative lesions and internal organs were characterized microbiologically by culture. Bacterial colonies were identified by a desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry system (MALDI TOF/TOF).

Results: The histological study of the skin lesions revealed serious acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, rete ridges, spongiotic oedema, serocellular and eosinophilic crusts, exocytosis foci, apoptotic cells and sebaceous gland hyperplasia. The cellular response in the dermis was consistent with type I and type IV hypersensitivity responses. The most prominent histological findings in non-dermal tissues were lymphoid hyperplasia, leukocytosis, congestion and the presence of amyloid deposits. The increase in serum concentrations of acetylcholinesterase and amyloid A protein correlated positively with the establishment of the inflammatory response in mangy skin and the presence of systemic amyloidosis. A wide variety of bacterial agents were isolated and the simultaneous presence of these in mangy skin, lymph nodes and internal organs such as lungs, liver, spleen and kidney was compatible with a septicaemic pattern of infection.

Conclusions: The alteration of biomarkers of inflammation and its implication in the pathogenesis of the disease and development of lesions in non-dermal tissues and septicaemic processes are serious conditioners for the survival of the mangy ibex. This severe clinical picture could be an important factor when considering the decision to eliminate animals that exceed a certain disease threshold from a population.

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase; Bacteria; Lesion; Mangy skin; Non-dermal tissue; Sarcoptic mange; Serum amyloid a.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval

This study complied with all Andalusian, Spanish and European legal requirements and guidelines regarding experimentation and animal welfare. Handling procedures and sampling frequency were designed to reduce stress and minimize the impact on the health of the subjects, as per European (2010/63/UE) and Spanish (R.D 53/2013) standards. The study was approved by the Ethics on Animal Welfare Committee of the University of Jaén and authorized by the Dirección General de Producción Agrícola y Ganadera of the Consejería de Agricultura, Pesca y Medio Ambiente of the Junta de Andalucía (Ref: SA/SIS/MD/ps/ October 25, 2012). The Sierra Nevada Natural Park staff also approved this study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Iberian ibex with severe sarcoptic mange. Presence of thick crusts, scales and alopecia in facial area and neck
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Light micrographs of ibex skins. a Section of uninfected ibex skin. b Skin section at 46 dpi. Presence of mites, parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, serocellular and eosinophilic crusts and keratinocytes with spongiotic oedema. c Skin section at 150 dpi. Uniform corneal layer with lesser orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, severe acanthosis and rete ridges and predominance of mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate Scale-bars:251 μm
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Light micrographs of ibex non-dermal organs. a Liver. Perivascular amyloid deposits in portal spaces and hepatic sinusoids (arrowheads) and congestion. b Kidney. Loss of glomerular structure due to the presence of amyloid deposits (arrowheads) at the mesangial level with a reduction of urinary spaces (amyloid nephrosis) and at the level of cortical tubular interstitium with decreased capillary lumens (chronic interstitial nephritis and ischemic tubular atrophy). c Spleen. Amyloid deposits (arrowhead) at the level of the mantle and crown of the Malpigian follicles and peri-arteriolar lymphoid sheaths of the white pulp, extending to splenic cords and venous sinuses of the red pulp (“Sago spleen”).d Adrenal gland. Loss of adrenal structure due to the presence of amyloid deposits (arrowhead) at the glomerular and fascicular levels of the adrenal cortex. Scale-bars: a, 62.7 μm; b, 62.7 μm; c, 251 μm; d, 251 μm
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