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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. © Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012.

[Background]: During the last decades, attempts have been made to understand the molecular epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei, and to detect and clarify the differences between isolates from different hosts and geographic regions. Two main phenomena have been described: (i) host-taxon derived-Sarcoptes mite infection in European wild animals (revealing the presence of three separate clusters, namely herbivore-, carnivore- and omnivore-derived Sarcoptes populations in Europe) and (ii) prey-to-predator Sarcoptes mite infection in the Masai Mara ecosystem., [Results]: Using one multiplex of 9 microsatellite markers and Sarcoptes mite samples from sympatric Pyrenean chamois, red deer, red fox and Iberian wolf, different population structure analyses revealed concordance with the host-taxon law described for wild animals in Europe, with two main host-derived Sarcoptes mite populations, herbivore- and carnivore-derived. Surprisingly, Iberian wolf derived Sarcoptes populations had the highest genetic diversity among the other populations, including two different subpopulations: one similar to the herbivore-derived Sarcoptes populations, and another similar to carnivore (fox)-derived Sarcoptes mite population., [Conclusions]: The host-taxon effect in wild animals is still supported with the maintenance of carnivore- and herbivore-derived Sarcoptes clusters’ separation in analyzed mites. However, this phenomenon could be modified with the inclusion of a large predator as wolf in the present work, revealing prey-to-predator Sarcoptes mite infection between the studied host-taxa and suggesting the importance of wolf's immune system for explaining the high variability reported in C. lupus derived mites. Further studies of host diet, behavior and movement, and regarding the role played by its immune system, would be of great help to clarify interactions between the two hypotheses, host-taxon and prey-to-predator., This is a contribution to the agreement between CSIC and Principado de Asturias. The research was partially supported by RNM-6400, Proyecto de Excelencia (Junta de Andalucia, Spain), Project RTA 2011-00087-00-00 (INIA), and Juan de la Cierva Grant to Dr S. Alasaad.

The present study examined sequence variability in a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (pcox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 and 5 (pnad4 and pnad5) among 39 isolates of Fasciola spp., from different hosts from China, Niger, France, the United States of America, and Spain; and their phylogenetic relationships were re-constructed. Intra-species sequence variations were 0.0–1.1% for pcox1, 0.0–2.7% for pnad4, and 0.0–3.3% for pnad5 for Fasciola hepatica; 0.0–1.8% for pcox1, 0.0–2.5% for pnad4, and 0.0–4.2% for pnad5 for Fasciola gigantica, and 0.0–0.9% for pcox1, 0.0–0.2% for pnad4, and 0.0–1.1% for pnad5 for the intermediate Fasciola form. Whereas, nucleotide differences were 2.1–2.7% for pcox1, 3.1–3.3% for pnad4, and 4.2–4.8% for pnad5 between F. hepatica and F. gigantica; were 1.3–1.5% for pcox1, 2.1–2.9% for pnad4, 3.1–3.4% for pnad5 between F. hepatica and the intermediate form; and were 0.9–1.1% for pcox1, 1.4–1.8% for pnad4, 2.2–2.4% for pnad5 between F. gigantica and the intermediate form. Phylogenetic analysis based on the combined sequences of pcox1, pnad4 and pnad5 revealed distinct groupings of isolates of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, or the intermediate Fasciola form irrespective of their origin, demonstrating the usefulness of the mtDNA sequences for the delineation of Fasciola species, and reinforcing the genetic evidence for the existence of the intermediate Fasciola form

The objective of the present study was to examine the phylogenetic position of Setaria cervi based on sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. A fragment of the cox1 gene from two morphologically identified S. cervi collected from red deer (Cervus elaphus) from Italy were amplified, sequenced, and compared with corresponding sequences of other filarioid nematode species. Phylogenetic studies using Bayesian analysis revealed S. cervi as monophyletic with other Setaria species, confirming S. cervi as a member of the Setaria genus. S. cervi appeared to be sister species to Setaria labiatopapillosa and Setaria digitata. Setaria tundra and Setaria equina, the other two Setaria species presented in the Italian fauna, formed a sister group to the clade consisting of S. cervi, S. labiatopapillosa, and S. digitata. In addition to phylogenetic clarification, our study is the first molecular identification of S. cervi, which may be useful for further molecular identification and differen- tiation of this filarial worm from other filarioid nematode species, especially in the earlier developmental stages of its life cycle

The present study aimed to establish a fluorescence- based polymerase chain reaction-linked single-strand conformation polymorphism (F-PCR-SSCP) assay for the identification of Fasciola spp. Based on the sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, we designed a set of genus- specific primers for the amplification of Fasciola ITS-2, with an estimated size of 140 bp. These primers were labelled by fluorescence dyes, and the PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis under non- denaturing conditions (F-PCR-SSCP). Capillary electropho- resis analysis of the fluorescence-labelled DNA fragments displayed three different peak profiles that allowed the accurate identification of Fasciola species: one single peak specific for either Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica and a doublet peak corresponding to the “intermediate” Fasciola. Validation of our novel method was performed using Fasciola specimens from different host animals from China, Spain, Nigeria, and Egypt. This F-PCR-SSCP assay provides a rapid, simple, and robust tool for the identification and differentiation between Fasciola spp.

The present investigation examined the prevalence and abundance of bronchopulmonary nematodes in 213 randomly hunted Iberian ibexes (Capra pyrenaica) (87 females and 126 males) in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Spain between 2003 and 2006. Post mortem examination revealed an overall prevalence of 72% for adult nematodes (Cystocaulus ocreatus 44%, Muellerius capillaris 44%, Protostrongylus sp. 40%, and Dictyocaulus filaria 4%). The abundances were 13.45 ± 3.97, 5.18 ± 2.49, 6.36 ± 2.16, and 2.27 ± 0.46, respectively. Protostrongylid adults showed similar infection rates, which were statistically different from that of D. filaria. 20% of the examined Iberian ibexes were infected by three protostrongylid nematodes species, 24% of C. pyrenaica were affected by two protostrongylid species, while infestations with only one protostrongylid species were detected in 20% of the examined animals. The overall prevalence of larvae nematodes in the examined animals was 100%, and the overall abundance (number of the first stage larvae per gram) was 86.45 ± 20.63. There was a high correlation between the two sets of data (adults and larvae). Results of the present investigation provided foundation for the effective control of bronchopulmonary nematode infection in Iberian ibex. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A collection of483 samples representing Fasciola from six naturally infected host species and 16 localities in Spain, previously identified morphologically and genetically as Fasciola hepatica, was characterized by a novel genetic marker, namely sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP), aiming to reveal genetic variability within F. hepatica in Spain. Visualization of amplification fragments was carried out on 6% denaturing polyacrylamide gels, followed by staining with 0.1% AgNO3 solution. Ten SRAP primer combinations were tested--six of them turned out to be polymorphic. Thirty-four representative F. hepatica samples from six host species and 16 geographical localities showed polymorphic banding patterns using SRAP primer combinations and were grouped into four major clusters using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages, indicating the existence of genetic variability within the examined F. hepatica samples. These four clusters were not related to particular host species and/or geographical origins of the samples. The results of the present study revealed that SRAP markers were useful in revealing sufficient polymorphism in F. hepatica samples from Spain and had implications for studying the population genetic structure of the Spanish F. hepatica. To our knowledge, this is the first application of SRAP marker to study genetic variation in parasites of human and animal health significance.

Between 1995 and 2006, we surveyed the presence of Fasciola hepatica in Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) from Andalucía (southern Spain) by both necropsy (n = 2,096) and coprological approaches (n = 380). Most of the samples came from the Sierra Nevada mountain range (n = 1,884 and 267, respectively), and all positive cases involved animals from this location. The prevalence reached 0.53% by necropsy and 1.87% by faecal examination. Taking into account both diagnostic methodologies and the total number of animals affected (n = 14), we obtained a yearly prevalence of 0.7 +/- 0.3%. The infection with F. hepatica was found not to be related to host sex, climatology or to co-infection with Sarcoptes scabiei (the most important parasite affecting Iberian ibex, with a prevalence of 49.27 +/- 7.90% in the examined animals). The prevalence of fasciolosis decreased significantly during the period under study and this would be explained by an increase of ibex resistance to this fluke as a result of a reduction of the parasite abundance in the area and/or a reduction of the host infection rate. There was no statistical difference between the two diagnostic methods for the examination of fasciolosis during the period in which both methods were used. Therefore, examination of faecal samples as a non-invasive procedure may provide a useful approach for monitoring fasciolosis in wild ungulate populations. The results of the present study provided foundation for the effective control of F. hepatica infection in Iberian ibex.

In the present study, 25 samples representing Fasciola (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda: Digenea) from nine host species and 19 geographical locations in Spain were characterized genetically by sequences of the first (ITS-1) and second (ITS-2) internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The ITS rDNA was amplified from individual liver flukes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the amplicons were sequenced directly. The lengths of the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences were 422 and 362 bp, respectively, for all Spanish liver fluke samples sequenced. Comparison of the ITS sequences of the Spanish Fasciola samples examined in the present study with that of Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica and the "intermediate Fasciola" revealed that all Spanish Fasciola samples examined represent the single species of F. hepatica, with only slight sequence variation in the ITS-2 (1/362, 0.3%) among the sequenced samples, but the sequence variation was not related to particular host species and/or geographical origins of the samples. The Spanish F. hepatica examined differed from Fasciola from elsewhere by two nucleotides in the ITS-2, which provided genetic marker for the differentiation of Spanish F. hepatica from Fasciola from other geographical localities. These results have implications for studying the population genetic structure of the Spanish F. hepatica and for the diagnosis and control of the disease it causes.

Raccoons are an invasive species continuously spreading throughout Europe with Germany as the core area. Here, raccoons mostly live in rural regions, but some urban populations are already established (city of Kassel) or starting to build up (Berlin). The objective of this study was to investigate Sarcoptes infections in racoons in these two urban areas and try to identify the putative origin of the parasite. Parasite morphology, gross and histopathology examinations of diseased skin tissue were consistent with Sarcoptes scabiei infection. Moreover, using 9 microsatellite markers we genotyped individual mites from five raccoons and compared them with fox-, wild boar- and Northern chamois-derived Sarcoptes mites, originating from Italy and Switzerland. The raccoon-derived mites clustered together with the fox samples and were clearly differentiated from those of the wild boar and chamois suggesting a fox origin for the raccoon mange infection. These results are evidence of cross-transmission of S. scabiei among wild carnivores. Although our results cannot elucidate whether raccoons became infected by frequent interaction with endemically or epidemically infected foxes or if these cases were the result of occasional contacts among these animal species. Nevertheless, they show that pathogens can be shared among urban populations of native and invasive carnivores

Background For centuries, immature stages of Dipterans have infested humans and animals, resulting in a pathological condition referred to as myiasis. Myiases are globally distributed but they remain neglected diseases in spite of the great medical and veterinary importance. Moreover, there is a paucity of information on the clinical-pathology and/or epidemiology of the infestation, especially in African free ranging wildlife. Findings In the present study we report for the first time an outbreak of traumatic cutaneous myiasis (caused by Old World screwworm, Chrysomyia bezziana and blowfly, Lucilia sp.) in free-ranging common elands (Taurotragus oryx). The infestation affected both animal sexes and different age classes, and had a negative impact on individual fitness as well as the overall health. Severely affected individuals were euthanized, while others were clinically treated, and apparently recovered. Conclusions This study indicates that myiasis-causing flies still exist in Kenya and are able to cause severe outbreaks of clinical cutaneous myiasis in wild animals. The status of these parasites in Kenya, which are of zoonotic potential, are either unknown or neglected.

Social media introduce pivotal changes to communication between individuals, organizations and communities. A clear example of the power of social media is the spread of the revolutionary outbreaks in the Arabic countries during 2011, where people used Facebook, YouTube and Skype to communicate, organise meetings and protest actions. Here I report how Doctor-Activists use these social media as an alarm system for ‘war disease’ outbreaks in the Syrian Spring. Social media are used as an alarm system to attract the attention of international organizations, which should assume their responsibilities and play their part in controlling the outbreak of such war diseases., Thanks to anonymous Doctor-Activists and Media-Activists, who provided the video and picture materials. Inkad, Al-Susa and Al-Baguz Charity Organizations are thanked for providing drugs for leishmaniasis treatment. Special thanks to the Local Counsels in the studied towns for providing data on leishmaniasis epidemiology and treatment.

The ubiquitous Sarcoptes mite is unexplainable emerging and re-emerging parasite, threat- ening biodiversity and human health. When a new outbreak occurs, it is not clear if it is a genuine emergence resulting from a new incidence or apparent emergence result- ing from increased detection. In this paper we report, for the first time to our knowledge, an outbreak of sarcoptic mange in giraffes in the wild. Three decaying carcasses and five free-ranging subadult reticulated giraffes were observed to have mange-like lesions in the drought-suffering Wajir Region in North Eastern Kenya, while apparently all sympatric wild and domestic animals were mange-free. Affected giraffes were captured and success- fully treated. The possible relations between this outbreak and annual seasons, animal age-classes and sex, and spatial distribution are discussed

The development of non-manipulative molecular tools to determine the origin of parasite infections in the animal trade (if infected before their export or import) is of great interest worldwide for both the animal trade industry and for animal welfare. Molecular tools have a wide range of applications, including forensic identification, wildlife preservation and conservation, veterinary public health protection, and food safety. Nonetheless, genetic markers were not reported to detect the source of infection in the animal trade. In this study we tested the applicability of molecular tools to detect the origin of Sarcoptes mite infection of wildebeest imported by the United Arab Emirate (UAE) from Tanzania. Using one multiplex of seven microsatellite markers and control samples from UAE, Kenya and Italy, we demonstrated the usefulness of the multiplex STR-typing as a molecular tool of pivotal interest to help commercialist, authorities, and conservationists, to identify the geographical origin of parasitic infections. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

[Background]: Implicitly, parasite molecular studies assume temporal genetic stability. In this study we tested, for the first time to our knowledge, the extent of changes in genetic diversity and structure of Sarcoptes mite populations from Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) in Asturias (Spain), using one multiplex of 9 microsatellite markers and Sarcoptes samples from sympatric Pyrenean chamois, red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes). [Results]: The analysis of an 11-years interval period found little change in the genetic diversity (allelic diversity, and observed and expected heterozygosity). The temporal stability in the genetic diversity was confirmed by population structure analysis, which was not significantly variable over time. Population structure analysis revealed temporal stability in the genetic diversity of Sarcoptes mite under the host-taxon law (herbivore derived- and carnivore derived-Sarcoptes mite) among the sympatric wild animals from Asturias. [Conclusions]: The confirmation of parasite temporal genetic stability is of vital interest to allow generalizations to be made, which have further implications regarding the genetic structure, epidemiology and monitoring protocols of the ubiquitous Sarcoptes mite. This could eventually be applied to other parasite species., The research was supported by a RTA 2009-00114-00-00 (INIA) project, RNM-6400, Proyecto de Excelencia (Junta de Andalucia, Spain) and Juan de la Cierva grant. This work is a contribution to the agreement between IREC - CSIC and Principado de Asturias.

Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is one of the key technologies of the post-genome era, with clear advantages compared to normal end-point PCR. In this paper, we report the first qPCR-based assay for the identification of Fasciola spp. Based on sequences of the second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-2) of the ribosomal rRNA gene, we used a set of genus- specific primers for Fasciola ITS-2 amplification, and we designed species-specific internal TaqMan probes to identify F. hepatica and F. gigantica, as well as the hybrid ‘intermediate’ Fasciola. These primers and probes were used for the highly specific, sensitive, and simple identification of Fasciola species collected from different animal host from China, Spain, Niger and Egypt. The novel qPCR-based technique for the identification of Fasciola spp. may provide a useful tool for the epidemiological investigation of Fasciola infection, including their intermediate snail hosts

Availability of mites is a recognized limiting factor of biological and genetic investigations of the genus Sarcoptes. Current methods of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extraction from individual mites also need substantial improvement in efficiency and operator friendliness. We have first developed a technique for efficient and safe extraction of living mites from scabietic skin samples (crusts or deep skin scrapings). Its core device is a large plastic syringe connected with a 1.5-ml Eppendorf tube. The source material is introduced in the syringe and the device in a shoe box with the tip half of the tube emerging. Mites migrate towards a heat source during a minimum of 36 h. Then, the tube is detached and the mites utilized without risks for the operators. A second technique allows operator-friendly manipulation of individual mites for DNA extraction. Fixed mites are isolated by adhesion to a small strip of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) adhesive tape operated with tweezers. Then, mite and strip are plunged in the lyses buffer and the sample twice submitted to thermal shock for disruption of the chitinous exoskeleton. Data show that the tape does not interfere with successive DNA extraction with a commercial kit. The corresponding protocol, that we briefly name "PVC adhesive tape + thermal shock + kit DNA extraction," compares favorably with the available ones.

The present study examined the relationship among individual Sarcoptes scabiei mites from 13 wild mammalian populations belonging to nine species in four European countries using the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) as genetic marker. The ITS-2 plus primer flanking 5.8S and 28S rDNA (ITS-2+) was amplified from individual mites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplicons were sequenced directly. A total of 148 ITS-2+ sequences of 404 bp in length were obtained and 67 variable sites were identified (16.59%). UPGMA analyses did not show any geographical or host-specific clustering, and a similar outcome was obtained using population pairwise Fst statistics. These results demonstrated that ITS-2 rDNA does not appear to be suitable for examining genetic diversity among mite populations. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sarcoptes mite from collection to DNA extraction forms the cornerstone for studies on Sarcoptes scabiei. Whilst the new science era took a shy leap into the different facets of mite studies, the cornerstone was almost entirely neglected. Mite collection, cleaning, storage and DNA extraction were, basically, humble attempts to extrapolate, adapt, modify or 'pirate' those existing methods to the peculiarities of Sarcoptes research. These aspects usually constituted few lines, bashfully mentioned, in the materials and methods section of some papers, which arose in unique problems concerning cost-effectiveness, time profitability, safety and even worse, the credibility of the results, creating contradictory conclusions in some cases. This 'noisy' situation encouraged us to collect, classify and review, for the first time to our knowledge, some aspects relating to studies on Sarcoptes mite from collection to DNA extraction, which will be useful for further studies on Sarcoptes, and have implications for the effective control of the diseases Sarcoptes mite causes. Further studies are needed, especially to compare the profitability, safety, sensibility and specificity of the different methods of this neglected realm of the ubiquitous ectoparasite. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.

The objective of the present study was to examine the extent of genetic diversity among Sarcoptes scabiei individuals belonging to different skin subunits of the body from individual mangy hosts. Ten microsatellite primers were applied on 44 individual S. scabiei mites from three mangy Iberian ibexes from Sierra Nevada Mountain in Spain. Dendrograms of the mites from the individual Iberian ibexes, showing the proportion of shared alleles between pairs of individual mites representing three skin subpopulations (head, back, and abdomen subunits), allowed the clustering of some mite samples up to their skin subunits. This genetic diversity of S. scabiei at skin-scale did not have the same pattern in all considered hosts: for the first Iberian ibex (Cp1), only mites from the head subunit were grouped together; in the second individual (Cp2), the clustering was detected only for mites from the abdomen subunit; and for the third one (Cp3), only mites from the back subunit were clustered together. Our results suggest that the local colonization dynamics of S. scabiei would have influenced the nonrandom distribution of this ectoparasite, after a single infestation. Another presumable explanation to this skin-scale genetic structure could be the repeated infestations. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of genetic structuring among S. scabiei at individual host skin-scale. Further studies are warranted to highlight determining factors of such trend, but the pattern underlined in the present study should be taken into account in diagnosis and monitoring protocols for studying the population genetic structure and life cycle of this neglected but important ectoparasite. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

The present study adapted the HotSHOT method, a technique which has been successfully applied on different kinds of tissues, to studies of Sarcoptes. Some modifications of this technique were made which allowed the quick preparation of PCR-quality Sarcoptes genomic DNA (gDNA), namely applying sodium hydroxide as a substrate for three cycles of thermal shock, followed by a short incubation and pH adjustment with a Tris solution (HotSHOT Plus ThermalSHOCK). The performance of this technique was tested by amplifying a ~450-bp rDNA fragment of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) and by multi-locus genotyping using ten microsatellites on 520 individual Sarcoptes samples. No difference in performance was observed between gDNA samples prepared using the HotSHOT Plus ThermalSHOCK technique and those prepared using a commercial kit utilizing proteinase K digestion. The results demonstrated that the HotSHOT Plus ThermalSHOCK technique is time-saving, economic, and easily automatable for the preparation of PCR-quality mite gDNA, which has implications for studying the molecular biology of mites with human and animal health significance. Although tested in the present study using Sarcoptes mites as a model, this technique may find broad applicability in extraction of gDNA from other parasites with small sizes and hard bodies. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

The discipline of epidemiology is the study of the patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in defined anima populations. It is the key to evidence-based medicine, which is one of the cornerstones of public health. One of the important facets of epidemiology is disease-navigating webs (disease-NW) through which zoonotic and multi-host parasites in general move from one host to another. Epidemiology in this context includes (i) classical epidemiological approaches based on the statistical analysis of disease prevalence and distribution and, more recently, (ii) genetic approaches with approximations of disease-agent population genetics. Both approaches, classical epidemiology and population genetics, are useful for studying disease-NW. However, both have strengths and weaknesses when applied separately, which, unfortunately, is too often current practice. In this paper, we use Sarcoptes scabiei mite epidemiology as a case study to show how important an integrated approach can be in understanding disease-NW and subsequent disease control., Project support was provided by Proyecto de Excelencia RNM 06400 (Junta de Andalucia, Spain) and Juan de la Cierva Grant (MinisterioInnovación y ciencia, Spain), the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (Grant No. 201303037), the PRIN 2010/2011 Grant (Ministero Università e Ricerca, Italy, Code D11J2000360001) and the Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of Gansu Province (Grant No. 1210RJIA006).

Background Recently, there have been attempts to understand the molecular epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei, to evaluate the gene flow between isolates of S. scabiei from different hosts and geographic regions. However, to our knowledge, a molecular study has not been carried out to assess the molecular diversity and gene flow of Sarcoptes mite in a predator/prey ecosystem. Results Our study revealed an absence of gene flow between the two herbivore (Thomson's gazelle and wildebeest)- and between the two carnivore (lion and cheetah)-derived Sarcoptes populations from Masai Mara (Kenya), which is in discrepancy with the host-taxon law described for wild animals in Europe. Lion- and wildebeest-derived Sarcoptes mite populations were similar yet different from the Thomson's gazelle-derived Sarcoptes population. This could be attributed to Sarcoptes cross-infestation from wildebeest ("favourite prey") of the lion, but not from Thomson's gazelle. The cheetah-derived Sarcoptes population had different subpopulations: one is cheetah-private, one similar to the wildebeest- and lion-derived Sarcoptes populations, and another similar to the Thomson's gazelle-derived Sarcoptes mite population, where both wildebeest and Thomson's gazelle are "favourite preys" for the cheetah. Conclusions In a predator/prey ecosystem, like Masai Mara in Kenya, it seems that Sarcoptes infestation in wild animals is prey-to-predator-wise, depending on the predator's "favourite prey". More studies on the lion and cheetah diet and behaviour could be of great help to clarify the addressed hypotheses. This study could have further ramification in the epidemiological studies and the monitoring protocols of the neglected Sarcoptes mite in predator/prey ecosystems., We also acknowledge institutional support from the Unit of Information Resources for research at the "Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas" (CSIC) for the article-processing charges contribution.

Background Habitat and food supply loss and disruption, together with man’s pursuit of the animal’s unique horn pose significant threats to the charismatic rhinoceros. Filarial worms have been thought to cause cutaneous lesions in black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in Kenya and South Africa, but never in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) in the wild, despite the fact that the two species live often in close proximity. Stephanofilaria dinniki has been implicated in the past as the causal agents for such lesions. Findings In this paper we report a putative filariosis outbreak in both black and white rhinos at Meru National Park in Kenya. Four black and five white rhinos were affected by various degrees of filarioid-like lesions, while apparently all sympatric wild and domestic animals were filarial worm-free. Affected rhinos were captured and successfully treated. Comparison between the epidemiological aspects of white and black rhinoceros filariosis, and the possible relations between this outbreak and annual seasons, the presence of oxpeckers and other host species are discussed. Conclusions Our study highlights (i) that filarial infection is not restricted to black rhinos, but it affects both rhinoceros species, and (ii) the importance of the earlier detection and immediate treatment (capture-treat and release) of filarioid infections, which is of pivotal interest for wildlife conservation, and especially the endangered and isolated white and black rhinoceros populations., We also acknowledge institutional support from the Unit of Information Resources for Research at the "Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas" (CSIC) for the article-processing charges contribution