Resolution of Clinical Signs of Sarcoptic Mange in American Black Bears (Ursus americanus), in Ivermectin-Treated and Nontreated Individuals.

The parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei causes mange in nearly 150 species of mammals by burrowing under the skin, triggering hypersensitivity responses that can alter animals' behavior and result in extreme weight loss, secondary infections, and even death. Since the 1990s, sarcoptic mange has increased in incidence and geographic distribution in Pennsylvania black bear (Ursus americanus) populations, including expansion into other states. Recovery from mange in free-ranging wildlife has rarely been evaluated.

Differential burdens of blacklegged ticks ( on sympatric rodent hosts.

In the United States, there has been a steady increase in diagnosed cases of tick-borne diseases in people, most notably Lyme disease. The pathogen that causes Lyme disease, is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (). Several small mammals are considered key reservoirs of this pathogen and are frequently-used hosts by blacklegged ticks.

Tick Control in a Connected World: Challenges, Solutions, and Public Policy from a United States Border Perspective.

Ticks are able to transmit the highest number of pathogen species of any blood-feeding arthropod and represent a growing threat to public health and agricultural systems worldwide. While there are numerous and varied causes and effects of changes to tick-borne disease (re)emergence, three primary challenges to tick control were identified in this review from a U.S.

High Prevalence of Antibodies against Canine Parvovirus and Canine Distemper Virus among Coyotes and Foxes from Pennsylvania: Implications for the Intersection of Companion Animals and Wildlife.

(CDV) and (CPV) can cause deadly infections in wildlife and companion animals. In this report, we screened serum from free-ranging eastern coyotes (Canis latrans; = 268), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes; = 63), and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus; = 16) from Pennsylvania, USA, for antibodies (Abs) to CDV and CPV. This comprehensive screening was achieved using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based colorimetric assay.

Tick abundance and life-stage segregation on the American black bear ().

Tick abundance and diagnosed cases of tick-borne diseases have been increasing in the United States. American black bear () populations have also been increasing in the eastern United States. As a competent host of several species of ticks and a mammal capable of traveling long distances, the role of black bears as hosts for ticks requires further evaluation.

Prevalence of Exposure in Wild Pigs () from Oklahoma with Implications of Testing Method on Detection.

is a protozoan parasite, reported as a leading cause of cattle abortions and reproductive failure worldwide, costing the cattle industry approximately $1.3 billion annually. With wild pig () populations estimated at over six million in the United States, contact between wild pigs and livestock is inevitable, mainly because of the widespread geographic co-occurrence of the two species.

A Tissue Digestion Protocol for Measuring Sarcoptes scabiei (Astigmata: Sarcoptidae) Density in Skin Biopsies.

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic skin disease caused by the burrowing mite Sarcoptes scabiei that affects a diversity of mammals, including humans, worldwide. In North America, the most commonly affected wildlife includes wild canids, such as coyotes and red foxes, and more recently American black bears in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States. Currently, surveillance for sarcoptic mange in wildlife is syndromic, relying on detection of clinical signs and lesions, such as alopecia and crusting of skin.

Host distribution and pathogen infection of fleas (Siphonaptera) recovered from small mammals in Pennsylvania.

The number of recognized flea-borne pathogens has increased over the past decade. However, the true number of infections related to all flea-borne pathogens remains unknown. To better understand the enzootic cycle of flea-borne pathogens, fleas were sampled from small mammals trapped in central Pennsylvania.

The Influence of New Surveillance Data on Predictive Species Distribution Modeling of and in the United States.

The recent emergence or reemergence of various vector-borne diseases makes the knowledge of disease vectors' presence and distribution of paramount concern for protecting national human and animal health. While several studies have modeled or distributions in the past five years, studies at a large scale can miss the complexities that contribute to a species' distribution. Many localities in the United States have lacked or had sporadic surveillance conducted for these two species.