If your sheep are scratching - watch out! It could be a symptom of the tedious mange, which in Patagonia affects the wool of sheep herds

Ovine scabies, a disease caused by an external parasite (mite) that appears more frequently during autumn and winter, is one of the diseases that generates the greatest concern among Patagonian livestock farmers, due to its impact on animals and high contagiousness. It is present in Neuquén, Río Negro, and in some departments of Chubut, and keeps Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego on alert. For this reason, Senasa, INTA, and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fishing of the Nation are promoting preventive and sanitary measures for its control and eradication. "The most frequent clinical signs in infested animals are wool loss, the development of crusts that can extend to the entire body, and intense itching, which induces abnormal behavior of discomfort and scratching," they indicated from Senasa. The main transmission route is through direct contact between animals, so it is key to carry out periodic controls that allow detecting affected animals in time. During the ...