Sarcoptes scabiei infestation in a captive lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris): case report, morphological and molecular genetic mite identification

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2023-12, Vol.122 (12), p.3181-3188
• Main Authors: Keiser, Perrine, Hörweg, Christoph, Kübber-Heiss, Anna, Hering-Hagenbeck, Stephan, Shahi-Barogh, Bita, Reitl, Katharina, Vielgrader, Hanna, Voracek, Thomas, Fuehrer, Hans-Peter, Ebmer, David
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Animal diseases; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body weight; Case reports; Disease transmission; Erythema; Immunology; Ivermectin; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Morphology; Necropsy; Pruritus; Sarcoptes scabiei; Skin; Skin diseases; Tapirus terrestris; Wildlife; Zoo animals; Zoos
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08009-9

Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) is a globally distributed parasitic mite species, which causes mange in a broad spectrum of domestic and wild mammals. In the present study, we report a case of chronic S. scabiei infestation in a captive lowland tapir ( Tapirus terrestris ) held in a multi-species exhibit at Vienna Zoo. The adult male showed clinically manifested mange flare-ups three times at an interval of up to 12 months, diagnosed by positive deep-skin scrapings and successfully treated by oral applications of ivermectin (0.1–0.2 mg/kg body weight) and washings with antimicrobial solutions. Clinical symptoms including pruritus, alopecia, erythema, crusts, and superficial bleedings were limited to the axillar and pectoral region, as well as distal limbs. The affected tapir died from underlying bacterial pneumonia during general anesthesia. Skin scrapings, necropsy, and histopathological analysis of mite material (eggs, larvae, and adults) permitted further morphological and molecular identification. The morphological features described here matched the characteristics for the species S. scabiei and molecular data verified morphological identification. Cross-species transmission plays a key role in the expansion of this neglected emerging panzootic disease and urban wildlife could potentially bridge the gap between free-ranging wildlife reservoirs and zoo animals. However, further examinations are needed to detect the primary source of infestation and discover transmission pathways within the zoo.