Sarcoptic mange in yellow baboons and red colobus monkeys in areas with high wildlife-human interactions: Implications for wildlife management

Abstract

Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic and zoonotic diseases affecting skin of different mammalian species including non-human primates. The disease is caused by parasite of the genus Sarcoptes. In severe cases the disease has been reported to cause mortalities in mountain gorillas. This  communication describes result of the investigated incidents of abnormal skin conditions reported at Saadani and Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Parks involving yellow baboons and Zanzibar red colobus monkeys respectively. Investigation results revealed localized areas of pustular dermatitis, alopecia, and scaling in the affected animals. Microscopy of skin scrapings revealed presence of Sarcoptes scabiae in all samples. Furthermore, the incidents in the two different parks appeared almost concurrently and a follow up to all sampled animals confirmed self-full recovery of all affected animals approximately after three months with no medical interventions. Further investigations are required to establish actual factors leading to the occurrence and regression of the observed parasitic skin condition. In addition, the occurrence of the disease in endangered red colobus monkeys call for a closer monitoring for a potentially more severe health and ecological consequences. Finally, although the disease necessitated  medical interventions in Ugandan mountain gorilla, the same approach may not be necessarily applicable to other primate species.

Key words: colobus, monkeys, baboon, sarcoptes, mange