Of Microbes and Mange: Consistent changes in the skin microbiome of three canid species infected with sarcoptic mange

We used culture-independent next-generation sequencing to characterize the skin microbiome of sarcoptic mange-infected and uninfected canids in three host species: coyotes (Canis latrans), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Although these hosts derive from three genera, we found remarkably consistent patterns of microbial dysbiosis in mange-infected individuals. We observed decreased microbial diversity, altered community composition, and increased abundance of opportunistic pathogens previously associated with canid skin and ear infections (Staphylococcus pseudintermedius) and the bodies of parasitic arthropods (Corynebacterium spp).