Traceback of the Psoroptes outbreak in British Columbian bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis).

ABSTRACT: Psoroptes are a non-burrowing, ectoparasitic, mange-causing mite that has been documented in American bighorn sheep populations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries; however, it was not seen on Canadian bighorn sheep until 2006. The aim of this study was to determine the potential source of the Psoroptes outbreak in Canadian bighorn sheep. Morphological and molecular analyses were used to compare mites recovered from outbreak-associated bighorn sheep, pet rabbits in Canada, and on historically infested bighorn sheep in the USA. The results revealed that Psoroptes acquired from the Canadian and outbreak-associated American bighorn sheep were morphologically more similar to those collected from rabbits than mites on historically infested bighorn sheep. Outer opisthosom

SUBMITTER: Hering AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8056144 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature