Mange is a global infectious skin disease that threatens the health and well-being of wildlife, livestock, and the people whose livelihood depends on them. Bolivia and Peru have the largest vicuña populations and appear severely impacted by mange. Vicuña are essential components of the Andean food chain and their extirpation would dramatically change the ecosystem. Climate change, habitat loss, pasture competition with livestock, and a lack of transparent regulations about the legal fiber trade all threaten to exacerbate the problem. This team seeks a holistic understanding of and novel control strategies for mange, which will mitigate the risks to public and ecosystem health.

OUR APPROACH: This project will compile data and knowledge about mange as it relates to wild and domestic camelids, other livestock, domestic animals and human health. We will integrate data on management practices, pasture quality and climate. Our interdisciplinary team includes experts in wildlife veterinary medicine, disease ecology, wildlife and conservation biology, rangeland ecology, agriculture, and livestock herding, and will engage rural communities, the livestock health sector, and key decision-makers to develop evidence-based, scalable solutions for mange control.