title: Genetic epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei in the Iberian wolf in Asturias, Spain.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM). Ronda de Toledo, s/n 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain. alvaroleaga@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oleaga
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alasaad
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casais
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maione
authors.forename: Ramón C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Soriguer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortázar
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer; D005589:Foxes; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D048608:Rupicapra; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000235:genetics*; D012532:Scabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019596:Wolves
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers
keywords: Canis lupus; Gene flow; Genetic structure; Host taxon-derived; Microsatellites; Prey-to-predator; Sarcoptic mange