title: Demodectic mange, dermatophilosis, and other parasitic and bacterial dermatologic diseases in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the United States from 1975 to 2012.
abstract: The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is a common and widespread North American game species. To evaluate the incidence, clinical manifestations, demography, and pathology of bacterial and parasitic dermatologic diseases in white-tailed deer in the southeastern United States, we retrospectively evaluated white-tailed deer cases submitted to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study from 1975 to 2012. Among 2569 deer examined, bacterial or parasitic dermatologic disease was diagnosed in 88 (3.4%) individuals, with Demodex spp (n = 37; 42.0%) and Dermatophilus congolensis (n = 19; 21.6%) as the most common causes. Demodicosis was significantly more common in deer older than 2 years and was most often detected in the fall; no statistically significant sex predilection was identified. Affected animals had patchy to generalized alopecia, often distributed over the head, neck, limbs, and trunk; microscopic lesions included epidermal crusts and cutaneous nodules with mild perifollicular, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation. Dermatophilosis was most common in males younger than 1 year that were often found dead. Crusting, erythema, and alopecia occurred on the face, ears, and distal extremities. Less commonly, infectious dermatologic diseases were associated with other bacteria (n = 13; 14.8%), fungi (n = 5; 5.7%), ectoparasites (chiggers, lice, mites, and ticks; n = 11; 12.5%), and larval nematodes (n = 7; 8.0%). Population-level effects of these diseases in white-tailed deer are likely minimal; however, due to their dramatic presentation, demodicosis, dermatophilosis, and other infectious skin diseases can be of concern to hunters and, in some cases, may have zoonotic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, 501 D.W. Brooks Dr, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Email: nnemeth@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Nemeth
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ruder
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gerhold
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Munk
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Oesterle
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kubiski
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Keel
mesh_terms: D000193:Actinomycetales Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000367:Age Factors; D000505:Alopecia / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004890:Erythema / Q000662:veterinary; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D015994:Incidence; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Demodex spp; Dermatophilus congolensis; Odocoileus virginianus; dermatopathology; white-tailed deer