Notoedric mange, also referred to as Feline scabies, is a highly contagious skin

infestation Infestation is the state of being invaded or overrun by pests or parasites. It can also refer to the actual organisms living on or within a host. Terminology In general, the term "infestation" refers to parasitic diseases caused by animals s ...

caused by an ectoparasitic and skin burrowing mite ''Notoedres cati'' (

Acarina Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear evi ...

Sarcoptidae The Sarcoptidae family of mites contains the genus ''Sarcoptes''. Sarcoptic mange Mange is a type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites. Because various species of mites also infect plants, birds and reptiles, the term "mange", or colloqu ...

). ''N. cati'' is primarily a parasite of

felids Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the dom ...

, but it can also infest

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

lagomorph The lagomorphs are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae (pikas). The name of the order is derived from the Ancient Greek ''lagos'' (λαγ� ...

s, and occasionally also dogs and foxes. This skin disease also has

zoonotic A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human. ...

potential. Infestation is also called

acariasis Acariasis is an infestation with mites. Terminology There are several complications with the terminology: Acariasis is a term for a rash, caused by mites, sometimes with a papillae (pruritic dermatitis) or papule (papular urticaria), and usua ...

, which refers to a rash that is caused by mites.

Signs and symptoms

Infestation of ''N. cati'' causes several symptoms such as severe

itchiness Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...

alopecia Hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, refers to a loss of hair from part of the head or body. Typically at least the head is involved. The severity of hair loss can vary from a small area to the entire body. Inflammation or scar ...

, scales and characteristic dry, crusted, pruritic lesions that first appear in the region of the ears and rapidly spreads over the face, eyelids, neck and continues to infest the whole body. Clinical symptoms appear within the incubation period, which is most commonly 10 days to 8 weeks after transmission has happened from contact with an infested animal. Skin will become thickened and colour of crusting will change yellowish or grey as the parasitic disease progresses. Self-trauma because of severe itching can cause excoriations to develop severe dermatitis, secondary bacterial infections. Far progressed Notoedric mange often leads to apathy, anorexia and even death. In humans, infestation of ''N.cati'' can result in transient pruritic lesions.

Cause

Notoedric mange is caused by the sarcoptic mite ''Notoedres cati'' that belongs to the family Sarcoptidae that consists of the burrowing mites. ''N. cati'' burrows its way through the skin of the host animal, which results in intense itching. Characteristic symptoms for Notoedric mange result from an allergic reaction of the host's body against the mites' extracellular products and also of the mechanical damage resulting from burrowing through skin.

Diagnosis

There are several conditions that veterinarians usually first rule out when diagnosing Notoedric mange. These out ruled conditions can be for example; otoacariasis, atopic dermatitis,

pemphigus Pemphigus ( or ) is a rare group of blistering autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes. The name is derived from the Greek root ''pemphix'', meaning "pustule". In pemphigus, autoantibodies form against desmoglein, whi ...

, food hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases and systemic lupus erythematosus. Otoacariasis is a rare infestation of the ear canal, which can be caused by different types of mites and ticks. Most commonly N. cati as a cause of Notoedric mange may be diagnosed from a skin scraping sample with a direct microscopic identification of the mite, because there are a large number of mites present on the skin. Characteristic and systemic symptoms of Notoedric mange also help with diagnosis.

Contagion

This parasitic skin disease is highly contagious and it is primarily transferred by direct contact with an infested animal. ''N. cati'' can survive for 1–3 days outside a host, and during that time the mite can transfer to another animal.

Treatment

Certain antiparasitic drugs used to control Notoedric mange include selamectin, moxidectin, ivermectin and lime sulfur dips. Lime sulfur is most commonly used and safe pesticide to control Notoedric mange on cats. Treated cats should not be allowed to groom before their coat is fully dried after treatment, because lime sulfur can cause toxicity if it is orally ingested. Lime sulfur is also commonly used along the side of Notoedres as a treatment for Sarcoptes, Demodex, Cheyletiella, Lynxacarus, chiggers and lice infections.

References