•Model based on TPB and behavioural economics to predict farmers’ adoption intention of sustainable mange control approaches.•Explore how farmers’ salient beliefs about sustainable mange control ...approaches are biased through the principles of behavioural economics.•Subjective norms, attitude and perceived behavioural control are found to predict farmers’ adoption intention.•Beliefs related to the bandwagon bias and availability bias influence adoption intention through TPB determinants.•Beliefs related to the default bias and loss aversion bias influence the determinants TPB, but not adoption intention.
Resistance against macrocyclic lactones is emerging in Psoroptes ovis mites, the cause of psoroptic mange in sheep and cattle. Therefore, sustainable mange control approaches should be implemented to prevent or slow down resistance. To ensure a proper implementation of such approaches, it is crucial to understand the factors that may impede or facilitate adoption of these practices among farmers. A conceptual model that combines insights from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB, Ajzen, 1991) - a theory that predicts human behaviour -, with insights from behavioural economics (Camerer, 2004; Samson, 2016) – a theory that assumes that behavioural biases or reasoning errors are pervasive in decision-making -, was developed to predict farmers’ adoption intention. In particular, this paper examines how behavioural economics can influence farmers’ beliefs related to sustainable mange control and through which pathways these biased beliefs can predict adoption intention.
A cross-sectional survey study amongst 174 Belgian Blue cattle farmers has been conducted and Structural Equation Modelling was used for analyses. In particular, the model shows that farmers’ positive attitudes towards a sustainable mange control method (attitude) and their perceptions of how others evaluate the sustainable control methods (subjective norms) more strongly predict adoption intention than perceived behavioural control. Additionally, the model shows that adoption intention is explained by the bandwagon bias -the belief that other farmers have a positive opinion about the control method-, and availability bias - farmers who have the belief that mange occurs often on their farm – through the determinants of TPB. Although this bandwagon bias influences farmers adoption intention, the rather low presence of availability bias might explain why adoption intention of a sustainable mange control method is limited. Next, retaining to the default treatment (default bias) influences farmers’ belief that they are capable of implementing control methods on their farm (perceived behavioural control), while the belief that implementing a control method is perceived as a cost for their farm rather than being beneficial (loss aversion bias) negatively influences attitude and perceived behavioural control. We further discuss important implications that can incite farmers’ adoption intention.
•The ectoparasiticide treatment is enough to decrease otitis lesion caused by P. ovis.•Vectra 3D® could be used to control infestation by P. ovis in rabbits.•Spontaneous lesions remission can occur ...in otitis caused by P. ovis in rabbits.
The main of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen and permethrin-combination (Vectra 3D-CEVA) in the topical treatment of rabbits naturally infested with P. ovis. Adult New Zealand rabbits (n = 18) with plaques of crust in both ears were divided into three groups (one control and two treated). On day 0, the animals belonging to the treated groups received a single dose of a commercial ectoparasiticide formulation, recommended for use in dogs. The control group (G1) (n = 6) received no treatment, the treated group (G2) (n = 6) received one drop in each ear, and the remaining volume was applied along the back of the animal in the dorsal midline with the commercial formulation. In the other treated group (G3) (n = 6), animals received the same product used in G2, but all the volumes of 0.5 mL were applied only to the back of the animal (dorsal midline). On days 0, +7, +14, +21, +28 and +35, lesion scores and mites per gram (MPG) of each ear scab were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical software Bioestat 5.01. As the Shapiro-Wilk test determined that the data were nonparametrically distributed, the Kruskal–Wallis test was performed, followed by the Student-Newman–Keuls test, to determine the significance levels among the mean values of mite counts per gram of crusts compared to the three experimental groups. The efficacies for remission of lesion scores were 19.87 % on day +7 to 83.44 % on day +35 for G2 and 70.67 % on day +7 to 92.20 % on day +35 for G3. The efficacies obtained by evaluation of MPG were 100 % on day +7 to 99.86 % on day +35 for G2 and from 93.05 % on day +7 to 99.89 on day +35 for G3. The topical administration of the combination of dinotefuran (4.95 %), pyriproxifen (0.44 %) and permethrin (36 %) on the ears and back or only on the back in rabbits was shown to be effective in naturally controlling mite infestations by P. ovis.
There are many records of the family Sarcoptidae in bats. The species Notoedres (Notoedres) yunkeri has been reported only once, parasitizing a molossid bat in Panama. In the present study, we expand ...the occurrence of the species to Brazil.
The astigmatid mite Psoroptes ovis (Acari: Proroptidae) causes the highly contagious and debilitating ovine disease, sheep scab. This ectoparasitic infection has a high economic and animal welfare ...impact on British sheep farming. Following recent work demonstrating resistance of Psoroptes mites to moxidectin, a widely used macrocyclic lactone (ML) treatment for scab, the current study compared the toxicity of three of the commonly administered macrocylic lactone therapeutic treatments (moxidectin, ivermectin and doramectin) to P. ovis from outbreak populations that had appeared unresponsive to treatment. These outbreak populations were from Wales and south west England. The data presented demonstrate that there is resistance to all three available ML compounds in populations of Psoroptes mites. However, considerable variation in response suggested that resistance alone was not responsible for the reported lack of efficacy in all of the submitted cases; lack of response in others may be associated with inappropriate treatment application or management. These data highlight the importance of the appropriate use of these compounds to manage national scab incidence at levels that are consistent with acceptable animal welfare standards, while attempting to reduce the development and spread of resistance.
Mange, a parasitic skin disease caused by various species of mites, is found in free-ranging wildlife populations and has been increasingly reported in American black bears (Ursus americanus) over ...the last decade in New York State (NYS), USA. Our goal was to describe the geographic, seasonal, and demographic factors associated with mange in this species in NYS. Our retrospective study used historic, opportunistic data from diagnostic necropsy records and visual sighting reports collected by the NYS Wildlife Health Program from 2009 to 2018. We used chi-square tests for independence and odds ratios to examine whether geographic location, year, season, sex, age, and reason for laboratory submission were associated with mange in bears. We used maps and seasonal analysis to investigate emerging patterns. We confirmed increased black bear mange reports in recent years. Necropsy data revealed more bears submitted to the laboratory because of mange, mainly caused by Sarcoptes scabiei; females were more likely than males to present with sarcoptic mange. We found that cases of mange in the Northern Zone were widely disseminated throughout the region, whereas cases in the Southern Zone were concentrated in two areas along the Pennsylvania border. Seasonally, mange cases showed peaks occurring in late spring to early summer and in fall. Our results were on the basis of available data; a comprehensive statewide surveillance program would be useful to better understand the apparent increase in mange and its potential impact on both the welfare of individual animals and the population of black bears in NYS. Additional research on the timing of transmission dynamics associated with females in winter dens may be helpful to wildlife managers to identify strategies to mitigate deleterious spread of the disease in black bears.
This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of mange in sheep in Anbar province by examining 462 heads of sheep. The disease was diagnosed by examining the skin scraping taken from the ...infected animals in the laboratory. The results showed that sheep were infected with Sarcoptes scabiei parasite, and the total infection rate was 34.6%, and no significant difference was recorded between males 34% and females 35.2%, the highest rate was recorded in the month of January %56 and the lowest in the month of August 13.1%, and the highest rate of infection was 49% in sheep at the age of 6 months - 2 years and significant differences for the rest of the ages. Head and neck lesions recorded the highest infection rate of 28.7 and 34.3% respectively. The study also included the effect of the crude watery extract of Onobrychis ptolemaica on the parasite, concentrations of 2.5-10 mg/ml have significantly affected parasites, it was noted the greater the concentration, the greater the effect during the different treatment periods. The highest concentration of 10 mg /ml resulted in the disappearance of all scabies parasites on day 14 of the treatment. Results showed sheep infection in Anbar province with mange in both sexes, high incidence of infection in young ages, high rate of infection in the winter months, and head lesions recorded the highest percentage of infection, the results showed the effect of concentrations of the crude watery extract of Onobrychis ptolemaica plant largely on the parasite.
•The majority of 38.6 million heads of one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the world occur in Africa.•Camels represent the first source of food and income for millions of pastoralists.•Surra in ...camels is one of the most important constraints in the economy of many African populations.•We argue that control of surra in Africa is affordable and recommend using the PCP approach.•We also propose that methods to control gastrointestinal parasitosis and sarcoptic mange will support improved surra control in camels.
With an increasing worldwide population that presently exceeds 38 million, camels are important source of meat, milk, and transportation of goods, in many regions of the world. Camels are particularly critical in the northern parts of Africa, above the tsetse belt. However, camel breeding areas are expanding into southern areas, under the pressures of global warming, leading to increasing risk of acquiring parasitic infections in these non-traditional ecotypes. Common biting flies (tabanids, stomoxyine flies, and Hippobosca camelina) act as mechanical vectors, resulting in exposure to trypanosomosis (Trypanosoma evansi; Surra) and high camel morbidity and mortality. In these regions, complicating infections with other Trypanosoma may also occur, particularly Trypanosoma vivax. In many modern camel-breeding areas, human populations are living under political upheaval (terrorism, riots), poverty, and precarity (drought, climate modification). Hence, control and/or elimination of Surra in camels would be beneficial to the economies of these populations. Due to the relatively straightforward epidemiology (single parasite with seasonal transmission in a single host species), control of Surra in Africa is affordable and should be based on implementing: (1) national veterinary services capabilities; (2) efficient diagnosis and control methods; (3) joint integrated control of Surra, gastrointestinal helminthoses (mainly haemonchosis), and sarcoptic mange. We propose that methods to control two economically-critical disease problems, gastrointestinal parasitosis and sarcoptic mange, will support improved Surra control in camels. Aided by decision-makers and donors, elimination of Surra could improve camel health and productivity, and stabilize camel-rearing in regions of the world that suffer from political instability and global warming pressures.
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