Fine-Scale Landscape Epidemiology: Sarcoptic Mange in Bare-Nosed Wombats (Vombatus ursinus)

Landscape epidemiology provides a valuable framework to interpret, predict, and manage spatiotemporal patterns of disease. Yet, owing the difficulty detecting pathogen occurrence in free-ranging wildlife, disentangling factors driving disease dynamics remains considerable challenge, particularly at fine spatial scales. Here, we investigated fine-scale landscape sarcoptic mange—a visually apparent caused by mite Sarcoptes scabiei—in bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), by: (1) characterizing distribution density within (2) examining effect environmental variation on prevalence mange. Wombats were heterogeneously distributed over 19.4 km transect space (0.096–1.39 ha−1) seven months time (increasing factor 1.76). Wombat was negatively associated with distance vegetation cover, supporting general propensity for occur burrow near (native exotic, excluding pasture). The mange varied spatially (3.1–37.5%), probability greater minimal low-lying pans their estimated home range. We observed trends increased areas more burrows available per wombat individuals occurring cover (although not range). active did influence This research emphasizes scale which can manifest is first investigate host any species indirect transmission S. scabiei. Collectively, our results suggest that inhabiting less optimal habitat (pasture) may be risk disease, or diseased competitively excluded from (vegetated areas). discuss implications understanding managing cross-applicability other mange-affected transmission.