title: Sex-biased severity of sarcoptic mange at the same biological cost in a sexually dimorphic ungulate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In sexually dimorphic species, male susceptibility to parasite infection and mortality is frequently higher than in females. The Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) is a sexually dimorphic mountain ungulate endemic to the Iberian Peninsula commonly affected by sarcoptic mange, a chronic catabolic skin disease caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. Since 1992, sarcoptic mange affects the Iberian ibex population of the Sierra Nevada Natural Space (SNNS). This study aims at exploring whether mange severity, in terms of prevalence and its effects on body condition, is male-biased in Iberian ibex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand and seventy-one adult Iberian ibexes (439 females and 632 males) were randomly shot-harvested in the SNNS from May 1995 to February 2008. Sarcoptic mange stage was classified as healthy, mildly infected or severely infected. Sex-biased prevalence of severe mange was evaluated by a Chi-square test whereas the interaction between mange severity and sex on body condition was assessed by additive models. Among scabietic individuals, the prevalence of severely affected males was 1.29 times higher than in females. On the other hand, both sexes were not able to take profit of a higher availability of seasonal food resources when sarcoptic, particularly in the severe stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sarcoptic mange severity is male-biased in Iberian ibex, though not mange effects on body condition. Behavioural, immunological and physiological characteristics of males may contribute to this partial sex-biased susceptibility to sarcoptic mange.
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193, Spain. Jordi.Lopez.Olvera@uab.cat.
authors.forename: Jorge R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: López-Olvera
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193, Spain. emmanuel.serrano.ferron@gmail.com.|CESAM, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. emmanuel.serrano.ferron@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193, Spain. anna.armenteros.perez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Armenteros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s.n., Jaén, E-23071, Spain. jperez@ujaen.es.
authors.forename: Jesús M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain. pfandos@agenciamedioambienteyagua.es.
authors.forename: Paulino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fandos
authors.affiliation: CESAM, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitario de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. jlocarvalho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193, Spain. Roser.Velarde@uab.cat.
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Velarde
authors.affiliation: Espacio Natural Sierra Nevada, Carretera Antigua de Sierra Nevada, Km 7, Pinos Genil, Granada, E-18071, Spain. franciscoj.canomanuel@juntadeandalucia.es.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cano-Manuel
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193, Spain. arian.raez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Arián
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ráez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas, s.n., Jaén, E-23071, Spain. jcerrato@ujaen.es.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Av. Américo Vespucio, s.n., Sevilla, E-41092, Spain. soriguer@ebd.csic.es.
authors.forename: Ramón C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Soriguer
authors.affiliation: Espacio Natural Sierra Nevada, Carretera Antigua de Sierra Nevada, Km 7, Pinos Genil, Granada, E-18071, Spain. josee.granados.ext@juntadeandalucia.es.
authors.forename: José E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Granados
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006041:Goats / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000254:growth & development*; D012532:Scabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain