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. 2022 Aug 15;12(16):2077.
doi: 10.3390/ani12162077.

Description of a Sarcoptic Mange Outbreak in Alpine Chamois Using an Enhanced Surveillance Approach

Federica Obber  1 , Roberto Celva  1 , Martina Libanora  1 , Graziana Da Rold  1 , Debora Dellamaria  1 , Piergiovanni Partel  2 , Enrico Ferraro  3 , Maria Santa Calabrese  4 , Lia Morpurgo  5 , Simone Roberto Rolando Pisano  6 , Carlo Vittorio Citterio  1 , Rudi Cassini  5
Affiliations

Description of a Sarcoptic Mange Outbreak in Alpine Chamois Using an Enhanced Surveillance Approach

Federica Obber et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Since 1995, the Alpine chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra) population of the Dolomites has been affected by sarcoptic mange with considerable management concerns. In this study, 15 years (2006-2020) of passive surveillance and demographic data were analyzed in order to describe a mange outbreak. Furthermore, an enhanced passive surveillance protocol was implemented in order to evaluate the efficiency of ordinary vs. enhanced surveillance protocol in identifying dead chamois in the field and in reaching a correct diagnosis. Our results confirm the role of mange as a determining factor for chamois mortality, while stressing the importance of a wider view on the factors affecting population dynamics. The enhanced passive surveillance protocol increased the probability of carcass retrieval and identification of the cause of death; however, its adoption may be too costly if applied for long periods on a wide scale. Passive surveillance, in both ordinary and enhanced surveillance protocol, should encompass the use of other strategies in the future to study the eco-epidemiology of the disease in wild Caprinae.

Keywords: Sarcoptes scabiei; caprinae; chamois; density; mortality; sarcoptic mange; surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The study area divided by mange zones. CAU = Cauriol-Val Cigolera; LIT = Val Maggiore-Litegosa; LSO = Lagorai Sud Occidentale; OLT = Oltro; PAL = Pale; PAN = Paneveggio; ROL = Val Maggiore-Rolle; SCA = Scanaiol-Boalon; STE = Val Moena-Lagorai-Stelune; TOT = Totoga; VFM = Vette Feltrine Meridionali; VFS = Vette Feltrine Settentrionali. Cavallazza Area (CA) is represented with red color; the territory of the PPSM Nature Park is represented with green color.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trend in population density (grayscale). The year of the mange index case (MIC) is represented in red.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trend in the number of mange cases (grayscale) detected through ordinary surveillance. The year of the mange index case (MIC) is represented in red.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Number of dead chamois collected from 2006 to 2020, classified by the cause of death. Bars represent annual total snowfall in centimeters.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Monthly distribution of male and female chamois carcasses (2006–2020) found in the entire study area using ordinary passive surveillance, classified by mange status. Animals for which sex could not be assigned are not represented.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Monthly distribution of chamois carcasses (2006–2020) found in CA during enhanced surveillance, classified by mange status.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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