Identification and molecular characterization of Notoedres spp. from notoedric mange cases in four species of mammals from Florida, USA

Kuldeep Chouhan¹, Melanie Dittmer², Heather Barron^{2

3}, Raquel Francisco^{4

5}, Jomari Rivera Reyes⁴, Jillian R Broadhurst^{4

5}, Nicole M Nemeth^{4

6}, Taylor Fisher⁴, Alisia A W Weyna^{4

6}, C Robert Stilz^{4

6}, Xuan Hui Teo^{4

6}, Victoria A Andreasen^{4

7}, Mark W Cunningham⁸, Bambi C F Clemons⁸, Michael J Yabsley^{4

5

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
² Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), Sanibel, FL, 33957, USA.
³ Loggerhead Marine Life Centre, 14200 U.S. Highway 1, Juno Beach, FL, USA.
⁴ Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁵ Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁶ Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁷ Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁸ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA.

PMID: 40746913
PMCID: PMC12312068
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101118

Identification and molecular characterization of Notoedres spp. from notoedric mange cases in four species of mammals from Florida, USA

Kuldeep Chouhan et al. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2025.

. 2025 Jul 19:28:101118.

doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101118. eCollection 2025 Dec.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Infectious Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
² Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), Sanibel, FL, 33957, USA.
³ Loggerhead Marine Life Centre, 14200 U.S. Highway 1, Juno Beach, FL, USA.
⁴ Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁵ Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁶ Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁷ Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
⁸ Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Gainesville, FL, 32601, USA.

PMID: 40746913
PMCID: PMC12312068
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101118

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize Notoedres from Florida, USA and to determine if rabbits and squirrels share the same Notoedres species. From July 2022-November 2024, 19 suspected mange (i.e., alopecia and crusty lesions) cases were identified in 16 eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus), an eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), a marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris), and a northern raccoon (Procyon lotor) in Florida. Most were in poor nutritional condition with multifocal alopecia and hyperkeratosis. Histologically, mites were noted in the variably hyperkeratotic stratum corneum with associated serocellular crusts and epidermal hyperplasia. Mites from rabbits and the squirrel were identified as Notoedres centrifera and the raccoon was infested with Notoedres cati. ITS-2 sequences from the squirrel and 11 cottontail rabbits were identical and 100 % similar to a N. centrifera sequence from a Florida cottontail rabbit. The other six N. centrifera sequences from the marsh rabbit and five cottontail rabbits matched those from a Florida marsh rabbit and a Kansas fox squirrel (Sciurus niger). The N. cati ITS-2 sequence was 100 % similar to N. cati. The N. centrifera COI sequences were more variable and fell into two groups that were 79.5 % and 79.8 % similar to S. scabiei. The raccoon N. cati COI sequence was 85.1 % (582/684) and 84.1 % (575/684) similar to Group 1 and Group 2 of N. centrifera, respectively, and 80.3 % similar to S. scabiei. Overall, these data may indicate that notoedric mange is endemic in rabbits and squirrels in Florida, confirm raccoons as hosts for N. cati, and highlight the utility of molecular characterization in mite speciation. Additionally, new sequences of Notoedres were generated that will facilitate future phylogenetic analyses. The biodiversity and ecosystem impacts of notoedric mange in Florida are currently unknown, but this research indicates a need for further field-based surveys to assess these potential risks.

Keywords: Lagomorphs; Mange; Mites; Noteodres; Parasites; Wildlife disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

**Fig. 1**
Clinical presentation of notoedric mange in wildlife admitted to Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), Sanibel, Florida. (A) Eastern cottontail rabbit (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) with alopecia and crusted lesions on the ears and face. (B) Eastern gray squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*) with multifocal alopecia and crusty lesions on the ears and body; the animal was deceased on arrival to the rehabilitation center.

**Fig. 2**
Histologic lesions attributed to *Notoedres* spp. infestation in wild mammals from Florida, USA. (A and B) In a sample of haired skin from a raccoon *(Procyon lotor*) there is extensive hyperkeratosis (black arrowheads) with intracorneal and subcorneal adult mites (white arrowheads). Mites are characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton with jointed appendages and contain striated muscle and digestive and reproductive organs. H&E. (C) An adult *Notoedres* mite (black arrowhead) and an ovum (white arrowhead) are surrounded by neutrophils and bacteria within a hair follicle from an eastern gray squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*). H&E. (D) In a cottontail rabbit (*Sylvilagus floridanus*), adult *Notoedres* mites (arrowheads) are often observed within anastomosing tunnels (asterisks) within the hyperkeratotic crust. H&E.

**Fig. 3**
Phylogenetic relationships of *Notoedres centrifera* internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) region sequences from marsh and cottontail rabbits and a gray squirrel, as well as a *Notoedres cati* sequence from a northern raccoon in Florida with *Sarcoptes scabiei* as an outgroup. *Notoedres* spp. sequences from our study are in bold.

**Fig. 4**
Phylogenetic relationships of *Notoedres centrifera* cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene sequences from rabbits and a squirrel and a *Notoedres cati* sequence from a northern raccoon in Florida with *Sarcoptes scabiei* as an outgroup. *Notoedres* spp. sequences from our study are in bold.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. Afonso C.L., Miller P.J., Grund C., Koch G., Peeters B.P., Selleck P.W., Srinivas G.B. World Organization for Animal Health; Paris: 2012. Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals.
1. Bochkov A. A review of mammal-associated psoroptidia (Acariformes: astigmata) Acarina. 2010;18:99–260.
1. Castro-Scholten S., García-Bocanegra I., Iglesias N., Casais R., Cano-Terriza D., Jiménez-Martín D., Barbero-Moyano J., Camacho-Sillero L., Rouco C., Caballero-Gómez J. Epidemiological survey and risk factors associated with Sarcoptes scabiei in wild lagomorphs in Spanish mediterranean ecosystems. Res. Vet. Sci. 2024;177 doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105344. - DOI - PubMed
1. Cardells J., Lizana V., Martí-Marco A., Lavín S., Velarde R., Rossi L., Moroni B. First description of sarcoptic mange in an iberian hare (Lepus granatensis) Curr. Res. Parasitol. Vector Borne Dis. 2021;1 - PMC - PubMed
1. Cornish T.E., Linders M.J., Little S.E., Vander Haegen W.M. Notoedric mange in western gray squirrels from Washington. J. Wildl. Dis. 2001;37:630–633. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Elsevier Science
- PubMed Central
Miscellaneous
- NCI CPTAC Assay Portal

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Identification and molecular characterization of Notoedres spp. from notoedric mange cases in four species of mammals from Florida, USA

Affiliations

Identification and molecular characterization of Notoedres spp. from notoedric mange cases in four species of mammals from Florida, USA

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous