Speakers in a seminar suggested in order to protect our precious wildlife fauna from Scabies, it is very important to predict the spread of disease both in domestic and wild animals for identification of populations at risk. They were of the view that there should be management programs initiated to cope with the challenges posed by Sarcoptic mite because due to its communicable trait a single infected animal is sufficient to cause an outbreak in wildlife population and this could lead to extinction of our precious endangered wildlife species.
 
They said while addressing at a seminar titled “Scabies and Wildlife Molecular Perspective of an old parasite” organized by the Department of Zoology at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) on April 10, 2013, with an aim to strengthen the research link between Europe and Pakistan for prosperous future relation.
 
Speakers said that scabies is a contagious skin disease that is associated with intense pruritus (itching) along with various skin lesions. They stressed that government should take necessary action in this regard and provide awareness and knowledge among the masses about this disease to not only protect wildlife but also domestic livestock and farmers.
 
Prof. Dr. Luca Rossi, a renowned veterinary parasitologist, Vice Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Italy delivered the seminar and shared his results and achievements on the molecular work regarding Sarcoptic mange in wildlife and its advances and challenges related to cure and prevention in domestic and wildlife animals and also in human. According to him, wild animals appear to be highly susceptible to Sarcoptes scabiei because we can treat human population and live stock through various acaricidal drugs but our therapeutic management practices can’t be applied to wildlife due to lack of access to wildlife species. Once this mite got transmitted to any wildlife species it usually spreads very rapidly in that population due to its contagious nature high mortality rates have been reported in wildlife.
 
The PMAS-AAUR, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmed, was chief guest and in his address, he highly appreciated such type of events. He said that the young scientists should try to elevate scientific research to new height. He appreciated for organizing aimed at creating awareness among research students about the importance of molecular tools in current era to protect our precious wildlife fauna from highly devastating Sarcoptic ectoparasitic mite. The Vice Chancellor also presented souvenir to the guest speaker Prof. Dr. Luca Rossi.
 
Earlier, Prof. Dr. S. M. Saqlain Naqvi, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, and Dr. Farhana Riaz Ch., Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, welcome the participants and informed them the aims and objectives of the seminar.