TY - JOUR
T1 - Hyperkeratotic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei (Acariformes
T2 - Sarcoptidae) in juvenile human-habituated mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei)
AU - Graczyk, Thaddeus K.
AU - Mudakikwa, Antoine B.
AU - Cranfield, Michael R.
AU - Eilenberger, Ute
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements We thank Dr. R. Robinson of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (Uganda) for giving permission to access gorilla samples; Dr. R. Lichtenfels, U.S. National Parasite Collection (Beltsville, MD, USA) for facilitating this study; Dr. D. Norris (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD) for his assistance in identification of mites; Dr. Huso (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD) for providing his veterinary dermatolog y expertise; and S. A. Assuma and W. Bordman for their dedication to the project. We acknowledge the skills of the park staff of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, Uganda. The study was supported by two grants from the Morris Animal Foundation, Englewood, Colo., USA (grant numbers: 92ZO-19, and 98MG-11) and from the Maryland Zoological Society, Baltimore, Md., USA.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - To facilitate ecotourism and behavioral research, free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) have been habituated to humans. During routine health monitoring, five juvenile gorillas were observed with active crusted dermatitis and alopecia. Papular and vesicular lesions and crusts with papular eruption and oozing were numerous and disseminated over the body of one gorilla with a confirmed infestation of scabies. In this gorilla, the hyperkeratotic crusts were loose and thick with a flaky and scaly appearance. Histologically, the epidermis was thickened, displayed hyperkeratosis and was infiltrated with lymphocytes and neutrophils. Examination of skin scraping yielded a positive identification of adults and eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei mites. The gorillas were treated with ivermectin, 200 mg kg-1. As S. scabiei mites can cross-infect various mammalian species causing self-limiting dermatitis, these ectoparasites can be propagated in the habitats shared by gorillas, people, and livestock, and therefore they represent an anthropozoonotic threat.
AB - To facilitate ecotourism and behavioral research, free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) have been habituated to humans. During routine health monitoring, five juvenile gorillas were observed with active crusted dermatitis and alopecia. Papular and vesicular lesions and crusts with papular eruption and oozing were numerous and disseminated over the body of one gorilla with a confirmed infestation of scabies. In this gorilla, the hyperkeratotic crusts were loose and thick with a flaky and scaly appearance. Histologically, the epidermis was thickened, displayed hyperkeratosis and was infiltrated with lymphocytes and neutrophils. Examination of skin scraping yielded a positive identification of adults and eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei mites. The gorillas were treated with ivermectin, 200 mg kg-1. As S. scabiei mites can cross-infect various mammalian species causing self-limiting dermatitis, these ectoparasites can be propagated in the habitats shared by gorillas, people, and livestock, and therefore they represent an anthropozoonotic threat.
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U2 - 10.1007/s004360100489
DO - 10.1007/s004360100489
M3 - Article
C2 - 11763433
AN - SCOPUS:0034761956
VL - 87
SP - 1024
EP - 1028
JO - Zeitschrift fur Parasitenkunde
JF - Zeitschrift fur Parasitenkunde
SN - 0932-0113
IS - 12
ER -