Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to detect and assess the prevalence rate of sarcoptic mange among stray dogs in Kabul, Afghanistan, and to determine whether factors such as age, gender, and season are associated with the incidence rate. Methods: This study was conducted from April to September 2023, involving 80 stray dogs (40 male and 40 female) collected by the Mayhew Afghanistan team from various areas in Kabul city. The dogs were brought to the animal birth control center (ABCC) for castration and spaying, and all were examined for sarcoptic mange through clinical signs, skin scraping, and identification under a light microscope. The Data was analyzed using the Chi-square test in SPSS with a significance level of P<0.05. Results: The results indicated that 21 of the 80 dogs (26.30%) were infested with sarcoptic mange. Stray dogs less than one year old had a significantly higher infestation rate (43.20%) compared to dogs older than one year (11.60%) (P = 0.001). Additionally, female stray dogs showed a higher susceptibility to sarcoptic mange (30.00%) than male stray dogs (22.50%), but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.446). Furthermore, the highest prevalence (34.80%) was observed in the spring compared to the summer season (14.70%) (P = 0.044). Conclusions: Since this is the first study to investigate sarcoptic mange in stray dogs in Kabul city, Afghanistan, the results can provide basic information about the incidence of this disease and its associated factors throughout country. As sarcoptic mange is a zoonotic disease, controlling and preventing the population of stray dogs requires important strategies, such as awareness campaigns for citizens and treatment stray dogs, which must be considered in the future.