What does a scabies mite look like on piglets? - briefly
The scabies mite on piglets is a minute, translucent oval about 0.2–0.4 mm long, often seen as a pale, moving speck within the skin. Infested sites display crusty, reddened lesions where the mites burrow just beneath the epidermis.
What does a scabies mite look like on piglets? - in detail
Scabies mites infesting piglets are microscopic arachnids belonging to the genus Sarcoptes. Adult females measure approximately 0.3–0.4 mm in length, with a rounded, oval body and a dark brown to black exoskeleton. Their legs are short, unsegmented, and equipped with claw-like structures that enable attachment to the host’s skin. Male mites are slightly smaller, about 0.2 mm, and possess a more elongated abdomen.
The mites reside within burrows that they create in the epidermis. These tunnels appear as thin, linear or serpentine tracks, typically 1–3 mm long, running parallel to the hair shaft. In piglets, burrows are most often observed on the head, ears, neck, and dorsal surface of the forelimbs. The entrance of each tunnel is a minute, raised papule, sometimes surrounded by a halo of erythema.
Clinical signs associated with the infestation include:
- Intense pruritus, especially after the first week of life.
- Small, dry, crusted lesions (scales) at the burrow openings.
- Secondary bacterial infection manifested by exudate or pus.
- Generalized skin thickening in severe cases.
Microscopic examination of skin scrapings reveals the characteristic morphology: a dorsal shield covering the idiosoma, four pairs of legs, and a ventral opisthosomal region bearing the genital opening. Female mites contain a visible ovary filled with eggs, which are oval, translucent, and measure about 0.1 mm.
Differential diagnosis should consider other ectoparasites such as Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis and Demodex spp., which differ in burrow depth and location. Confirmation relies on the detection of the mite or its eggs in scrapings stained with potassium hydroxide or Giemsa.
Effective treatment requires topical acaricides applied to the entire body surface, repeated at 7‑day intervals to interrupt the life cycle, which lasts roughly 10–14 days. Environmental decontamination of bedding and housing reduces reinfestation risk.