Ectoparasitic Skin Diseases of Two-toed and Three-toed Sloths in Costa Rica Stephanie Dewell Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Clay Britton epartent of iology Abstract total of sloths in the wil and in captiity eight ariegats and eight C hoffanni were ealate for eratitis oer a twowee period in anuel ntonio Costa ica. ungal cultre sin impression an sin scrapings were conucted on each inividual case in order to follow the differential diagnostic ini ataase of sall anial deratology Captie population saples were taen fro a willife sanctary and he loth nstitute Costa ica rehabilitation facility definitie iagnosis was not possible in fie of the cases In the captie population si B. ariegats and fie C hoffanni), eratophytosis by icrosporu gypseu was etecte in three C hoffanni adults 7%), sarcoptic ange in three pruritic ariegats infants 7%), and pyotrauatic deratitis in one adult C hoffanni (6.2%). oonotic ectoparasites were found eclsiely in the captie sloth populations at the willife sanctary Fie sloths fro the wil presented with sin lesions electric shock trauma fro telephone wires was the primary cause of of these lesions and secondary alassezia eratitis 3% and pyotrauatic deratitis (12.5% were confired with sin ipression The general trends of the trial inicate that the ost prealent cause of deratitis was zoonotic ectoparasites 37.5%) roper anageent and increased iological security in captive poplations ay contribute to the prevention of disease transmission Introduction Brayps ariegats an Choloeps hoffanni respectiely nown as the three-toe an two-toe sloths are inhaitants of tropical rainforests of the Cariean an acific regions of Central an oth erica cCarthy et al. 99 loths are priarily aroreal aals an elong to the taonoic orer Pilosa ccoring to the Re List of hreatene pecies plishe y the nternational nion for Conseration of Natre an Natral Resorces INC nearly half of the genera elonging to the faily Braypoiae are recognie as critically enangere with ecreasing poplation trens C. hoffanni shares the phylogenic faily egalonychiae with one other sloth species, Choloeps iactyls Thogh C hoffanni an B ariegats are crrently liste as two species of least concern IUNC 16 their ftre surial is threatene y trens of 65 rapi eforestation an hman encroachent on their natral haitat (Larence et al 1999, iaa-Morales et al 00 Sering as a pilot sty for eelopent of a recor of ectoparasitic infections aong Costa Rican sloths the crrent research ses the eratologic testing ini ataase to enale ientification of specific ectoparasitic organisms in the sect poplation of sloths soe captie an soe wil The reslts support the proposition that oonotic ectoparasites—parasites that can e transitte fro anials to hans— are the ost coon case of eratitis in captie sloths an thus that proper anageent an increase iological secrity in captie poplations are esirale to preent isease transission in oth han an anial poplations Habitat Loss & Fragmentation ring the 60s an 1970s, Costa ica eperience soe of the highest rates of poplation growth an of eforestation in the worl Biy an alloni 98 aer an Joyce 88 aitat loss an fragentation threaten sloth surial as they not only isplace the sloths fro their appropriate niche t also sect the species to a ast array of physiological stressors they wol not eperience in the wil he Costa ican goernent has proote ecotoris to presere the eteriorating tropical lanscape of Costa ica t its policy has seeral liitations (Langholz et al. 99 y efinition ecotoris enales traelers fro aron the worl to eperience the natral forest an willife while inflicting inial han ipact on the natie ecosystes Yet sties analyzing the echaniss y which toris of the tropics is eelope operate an organie inicate that crrent practices allow for negatie ipact on the aintenance of oerall healthy ecosystes (Isaacs 00 er the last two ecaes sloths hae ecoe an increasingly poplar attraction to traelers in Central erica ong sloths are often captre an taen fro their others in the wil, an hel captie in iproise shelters here they are sol to international traelers oreno an lese 06 Both buyers an sellers of the sloths are often naware of the specific ietary nees of the anial reslting in the srrener of etreely alnorishe iniials to rehailitation facilities f the 02 sloths intercepte y officials from trafficers in 04 only 23 sloths were ale to surie rehailitation—13 of the B ariegats (16% species an of the C hoffanni species % (Moreno an lese 006). Clinical Disorders loths are ecoing increasingly lnerale to isease as raniation an ecotoris introce irect pathways for infectios organisms that are ncoon in the wil s wil haitats shrin an wil sloths are captred, not only are sloths epose to nfailiar parasites an other organisms carrie y oestic anials t also their inocopetency is coproise y the stresses of ran hazars an inappropriate iets. realent clinical isorers recore aong oth species are ntritional isorers 7%) igestie alaies 12.3% respiratory coplications (12.3% an inries % ini an liiera 99 ne case of haitat estrction reslte in the isplaceent of nearly sloths to grasslans an eaches where they sffere fro staration ehyration an parasite infection Moreno an lese 06). Coon physical inries reporte after the haitat istrance incle ehicle-ince 66 trauma ton hildre a lectrica hock r telephone ires (More 00 alth urvey oths onducted he ntra America a man-induce aumas suc nai file tee contusions urns wounds cc for of s njuries eated, a which increased the sloths’ susceptibility to secondary bacterial infect ore an 006). ge fur shares ymbiotic elations t diverse lga communities s mportan ole s ctor for evera -pathogenic arthropods more 01 uutar 01 I s e ugges t hese symbi relationships not nly y r role amouflagi loths s serve as source f ritio cutaneous bsorption ffusio ir shafts (Gilmore e . 01 seases cur s es of ry omm sitis disrup ese listic elationships n re ssocia w f tritional digestive sses nd ra 97 ndrances he symbiotic relationships betwee ga ommunities ge s esul rmatitis a e ardous effects rtant ologica ocesses f lot pecies Dermatitis: Transmission and Manifestations Dermatitis nera r use scribe flammation ause allergens se or fectio ns aused re imary ause of econdary teria ki iseases mammals se seases lude pyotraumatic dermatitis perficia oderma e rma niz ra 99 nilica 2006 e als ith eri econdary teria seases xperience imilar symptoms ac ase s be stiga oroughly de ppropria therapy otraumatic rmatitis s haracterize y utely uritic nlargi area lopecia rosive mois uda nilica 06 ontras both superficia e rma r ollicles adjace rmis resulting individuals resenti multifoca r neralize reas es piderma collarettes alize lopecia rythema nilica 006, ils he 4 Sec fections ca s esul r s mage ause hr trauma sture nilica 06 alasseziasis ore commonly ow as dermatitis presents s nhealing, rythematous rus r sions Black 2012 a 06 ounds s rea mmediately se teria n fungal skin diseases that ultimately hinder the sloth’s mobility and ability to feed (Diniz 1999 raumatic rmatitis Malassezia rmatitis re onsidere e on- zoonotic fections, hic ndica hese eases ann e prea r mals humans I ontras sarcoptic nge ontagious s isease ause he zoonotic rthrop mite rcoptes scabie tudy analyz tious seases opula of ternationa ravelers state a sorders re r mos ommo men lly (Wils d he sions prese avelers rthropod-rela rmatitis onstitute f sease ou persons see opica ease dica over ree-year r ls he 2004 he s highly ansmissible due s ati oth nimals umans as arriers s bility nfec n-to-ski ontact tween als (Black 2012 z 06 nfestatio mans fro e nima nge nerally elf-limi 67 because the species of mite that infects animals is only able to reproduce on its specific host (andi and aikumar 013, alton scabiei infestation on both the animal host and human reservoir presents as lesions including papules alopecia erythema crusts and ecoriations (Black 012, Diaz 06, nilica 2006 esions formed by hypersensitiities to the byproducts of the animal mange mite lead to secondary bacterial infection therefore, differential diagnosis is crucial to the oerall health of the animal host Dermatophytosis (ringworm is a zoonotic fungal infection of the hair shafts caused by keratinophilic fungi from the genera Microsporum Trichophyton and Epidermophyton (aier et al 2006 nlike yeast dermatitis dermatophyte organisms are transmitted through direct contact with fur and dandruff that contain fungal particles originating from an infected animal or enironment kin inolement in both humans and animals may be localized or generalized with areas of circular irregular or diffuse alopecia with scaling ther symptoms include erythema, papules crusts seborrhea and onychodystrophy of the digits (nilica 06). Differential Diagnosis The dermatologic diagnostic minimum database includes skin scrapes cutaneous skin cytologyimpression and fungal cultures (nilica 00 Differential diagnosis is crucial to determine the primary cause of a skin disease since lesions appear similar howeer these diseases can also co-occur and reuire different methods of treatment s discussed in detail below published research has not applied these differential diagnostic standards possibly resulting in the publication of false-negatie findings er a one-year period, Costa ican sloth species from au aulo oo were eamined for gastrointestinal parasites and ectoparasites The study concluded that 7 sloths presented with pruritic lesions erythema and hair loss, and were positie for scabiei itch no eidence of fungal infection was found (ibaa-Morales et al. 09 Though ibaa-Morales and colleagues’ study was the first to discover that captie sloths can be infected with sarcoptic mange it is of concern that no diagnostic test other than skin scraping was documented he diagnosis was further supported when four researchers deeloped rashes after handling infected sloths (ibaa-Morales et al.