Mange

Mange is a parasitic disease caused by mites which live in or under the skin and affect all kinds of animals and man, causing scabby eczema and depilation. Emaciation may occur in chronic cases and under cold conditions or with poor nutrition; heavily infested cattle may die from psoroptic mange. Sarcoptic mange may cause mastitis in milking cows.

Mange is a world-wide problem, and there are three kinds of mange mites: psoroptic, chorioptic and sarcoptic which attack a variety of animals. Cattle are also affected by demodectic mange mites. Within these groupings there are many different species. Transmission is generally from one animal to another and for this reason among domestic animals there is a far higher incidence during the winter when they are confined in close quarters. The mites eggs may remain on barn walls, fence posts, cattle trucks or any other equipment which comes into contact with diseased animals and they may be transmitted in this way.