MANGE IN CAMEL: TREATMENT AND CONTROL

Pashu Sandesh, 6th August 2018

Dr. Jitendra Tanwar,Dr. Akshay Kumar, Dr. Deepikesh Joshi

Mange

Mange is a widespread and highly contagious skin disease which causes severe itchiness, poor growth, low milk production, and even death. It is one of the most common and important diseases in camels, especially in temperate regions with cold winters or areas with long wet seasons. It is commonly known as khaj, khujli, paam, paanv, pom. This is most widely distributed and economically important parasitic skin disease affecting productivity in camel rearing area of the India as well as world where appropriate treatment and preventive measures are not adopted.

Cause

Mange in camel mainly caused by burrowing mite known as Sarcoptes scabiei var cameli. The mites can survive outside the body for about 2 weeks. They prefer low temperatures and high humidity. The mites dig tunnels into the upper layer of the skin and lay their eggs there. This causes an allergic reaction, leading to intense itching. Mange is transmitted by direct contact between camels, or indirectly through equipment and rubbing places such as trees.

Signs

• One of the first signs is that the animal rubs and scratches the affected area with its teeth or against trees.
• In the early stages, the skin is covered with small bumps. Hairless patches develop, and the skin becomes raw from scratching, and begins to weep.
• Scabs develop, and in serious cases, the skin becomes grey, thickens, becomes wrinkled and cracked, like dried mud.
• The camel spends its time scratching itself rather than eating or resting. It loses weight and becomes weak and anemic.

Treatment

• Firstly using a stiff brush, a piece of coarse sacking or a sharp stone, vigorously scrub away the crusts on the affected areas until the skin bleeds.
• Spray the whole body with Amitraz 250 mg/litre (e.g., Taktic, 2 ml/litre of water).2–3 times at 7–10-day intervals, and brush the acaricide into the skin. It is important to scrub the whole body, as the mange mites may be hiding in apparently healthy skin.
• Inject Ivermectin at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg body weight under the camel’s skin. Repeat the injection after 2 weeks.
• Make a paste of 5 g of sulphur, 50 ml of cooking oil and 1 g of camphor. Wash the affected part of the animal, scrub it smooth with a brush, and apply the paste twice a day for 10–12 days.

Prevention & Control

• Diligent and repeated brushing of acaricide into the skin will be necessary. Try to eradicate the disease completely, rather than trying merely to control it.
• Treat all the animals at the same time, to avoid the disease re-infecting animals that have been cured. Treat both infected and healthy animals, as the mites can already be hiding in apparently healthy animals.
• Keep infected animals away from healthy ones. Avoid infected herds, and do not touch equipment or rubbing spots they may have come into contact with.
• Mange is very common in baggage or pack camels. Avoid contact with such animals.

 Dr. Jitendra Tanwar¹,Dr. Akshay Kumar^2*, Dr. Deepikesh Joshi³

1.Department of Veterinary Medicine, Ethics and Jurisprudence, College of Veterinary &  Animal Sciences, RAJUVAS, Bikaner, Rajasthan 2. Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, DUVASU, Mathura , Uttar Pradesh, 3. Department of Livestock Production and Management, GBPAUT, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand

Corresponding author*: Dr. Akshay Kumar akshay.rajawat@gmail.com