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Sarcoptic mange and cheetah conservation in Masai Mara (Kenya): epidemiological study in a wildlife/livestock system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2012

FRANCIS GAKUYA ,
JACKSON OMBUI ,
NDICHU MAINGI ,
GERALD MUCHEMI ,
WILLIAM OGARA ,
RAMÓN C. SORIGUER  and
SAMER ALASAAD
FRANCIS GAKUYA*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary and Capture Services, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya
JACKSON OMBUI
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
NDICHU MAINGI
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
GERALD MUCHEMI
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
WILLIAM OGARA
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
RAMÓN C. SORIGUER
Affiliation:
Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Sevilla, Spain
SAMER ALASAAD
Affiliation:
Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n 41092 Sevilla, Spain Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies (IEU), University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Veterinary and Capture Services, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya. E-mail: gakuya@kws.go.ke
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Summary

The sanitary control of threatened wild animals is of pivotal interest for their conservation. This task, however, is highly complex in wildlife/livestock systems. In this paper we report findings from a 2-year cross-sectional study of the epidemiology and attempted control of a Sarcoptes mite infestation in the threatened cheetah population in Masai Mara (Kenya), and discuss its interaction with sympatric wild (lion, wildebeest and Thomson's gazelle) and domestic (dog, cattle and sheep) animals. Sarcoptes scabiei was isolated from cheetahs, Thomson's gazelles, wildebeests, lions, cattle, goats and dogs; Psoroptes ovis, on the other hand, was only isolated from sheep. The prevalence study revealed 12·77% infection rates in cheetahs, 4·7% in dogs, 0·8% in Thomson's gazelles, 0·8% in sheep, 0·09% in cattle, and 0·09% in goats, while it opportunistically affected lions and wildebeest. Our study revealed that prevalence of Sarcoptes mite in cheetah population was not associated with the studied geographical blocks, animal sex or the presence of affected domestic animals. Cheetah infection with S. scabiei was associated with the climatic conditions (dry more than wet season) and the balancing between the total number of Thomson's gazelles and the prevalence of infected individuals. Apparently the high prevalence of mangy gazelles has a negative effect on cheetah; this negative effect was reduced when the number of healthy gazelles was increased. Treatment with injectable ivermectin of the clinically affected wild and domestic animals during the first year of this study was associated with much lower incidence of sarcoptic mange during the second year.

Keywords

Acinonyx jubatusSarcoptes scabieiPsoroptes oviswildlife/livestock boundaryparasite controltreatment
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 139 , Issue 12 , October 2012 , pp. 1587 - 1595
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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