What is the News?
Wildlife conservationists have expressed concern after locals spotted a few desert foxes, found in the scrub forests of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, suffering from a loss of fur due to the Mange Skin Disease.
What is Mange Disease?
Mange is a type of skin disease of animals caused by parasitic mites.
The disease is characterized by inflammation, itching, thickening of the skin and hair loss.
Caused by: The most severe form of mange is caused by the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which also causes human scabies.
Transmission: The disease is transmitted between animals by direct contact and by objects that have been in contact with infected animals.
– Humans can also catch sarcoptic mange from dogs, but the mites involved cannot complete their life cycle in human skin. As a result, the issue can cause some skin irritation in humans, but it does not last long.
Treatment: The treatment of mange requires both oral medicines as well as the application of skin medicine.
Source: This post is based on an article “Mange in Jaisalmer’s desert foxes worries experts” published in Down To Earth on 25th March 2022