2016 Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 59-63
Sarcoptic mange is a contagious skin disease in mammals and is caused by a mite species, Sarcoptes scabiei. In Japan, although the transmission of S. scabiei between raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and domestic dog has been suspected, no evidence had been obtained. Therefore, in our previous study, we investigated the genetic relationship between S. scabiei obtained from raccoon dogs and domestic dogs （Canis lupus familiaris）using 9 microsatellite markers, and elucidated that the mites were separated into two groups, with the mites obtained from raccoon dogs and domestic dogs clustered together in each group. This result strongly suggests the transmission of S. scabiei between raccoon dogs and domestic dogs. However, the interpretation of the coexistence of the two mite groups in our research area is difficult due to the lack of epidemiological and ecological data on hosts, mites, and interaction between them. In this article, we propose some hypotheses on this phenomenon from the perspectives of the hosts and S. scabiei and the interaction between them, and also discuss the necessity of the disease ecology in the study of sarcoptic mange.
