Molecular epidemiology of a fatal sarcoptic mange epidemic in endangered San Joaquin kit foxes ( Vulpes macrotis mutica
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Parasites & Vectors Open Access
RESEARCH
Molecular epidemiology of a fatal sarcoptic mange epidemic in endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) Jaime L. Rudd1,2*, Deana L. Clifford1,2, Brian L. Cypher3, Joshua M. Hull4, A. Jane Riner1,2 and Janet E. Foley1
Abstract Background: In 2013, sarcoptic mange, caused by Sarcoptes scabiei mites, precipitated a catastrophic decline of the formerly stable urban population of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica) in Bakersfield, California, USA. In 2019, a smaller sarcoptic mange outbreak affected kit foxes 58 km southwest of Bakersfield in the town of Taft, California. To determine whether the Taft outbreak could have occurred as spillover from the Bakersfield outbreak and whether epidemic control efforts must involve not only kit foxes but also sympatric dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), coyotes (Canis latrans), and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), we evaluated genotypes and gene flow among mites collected from each host species. Methods: We used 10 Sarcoptes microsatellite markers (SARM) to perform molecular typing of 445 S. scabiei mites collected from skin scrapings from twenty-two infested kit foxes, two dogs, five coyotes, and five red foxes from Bakersfield, Taft, and other nearby cities. Results: We identified 60 alleles across all SARM loci; kit fox- and red fox-derived mites were relatively monomorphic, while genetic variability was greatest in Bakersfield coyote- and dog-derived mites. AMOVA analysis documented distinct mite populations unique to hosts, with an overall FST of 0.467. The lowest FST (i.e. closest genetic relationship, FST = 0.038) was between Bakersfield and Taft kit fox-derived mites while the largest genetic difference was between Ventura coyote- and Taft kit fox-derived mites (FST = 0.843). Conclusions: These results confirm the close relationship between the Taft and Bakersfield outbreaks. Although a spillover event likely initiated the kit fox mange outbreak, mite transmission is now primarily kit fox-to-kit fox. Therefore, any large-scale population level intervention should focus on treating kit foxes within the city. Keywords: Bakersfield, California, Management, Host specificity, Microsatellites, Mites, Sarcoptes scabiei, Wildlife Background The first written reference to the skin disease now known as scabies dates to 1200 BCE [1]. From the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans through the middle ages, mange was known as the “itch” [2] and its cause was unknown until 1687, when the Italian *Correspondence: [email protected] 2 Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
physician Giovanni Cosimo Bonomo identified a mite as the causative agent, making scabies one of the first diseases in human history with a known etiology [2]. In 1778, DeGeer formally named the itch mite Acarus scabiei, and this classification was revised in 1802 to a new genus, Sarcoptes, now
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