SYDNEY, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A new study by the University of Tasmania may have found an answer to combating sarcoptic mange, a disease that has devastated the bare-nosed wombat population in Australia.
Affecting more than 100 mammal species worldwide, sarcoptic mange is caused by the presence of a microscopic, parasitic mite, scientifically known as Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrow into the skin of the host.
"The mite's presence causes irritation, hair loss, scratching, and skin thickening," study lead at the University of Tasmania's School of Natural Sciences Alynn Martin told Xinhua on Wednesday.
"In severe cases, it results in animal death."
"At Narawntapu National Park on the north coast of Tasmania, an outbreak of mange resulted in a 94 percent decline in wombat abundance in the park," Martin said.
The study demonstrated that wombats suffering from mange experience higher metabolic rates which causes the animals to lose heat faster than their healthy peers.
According to Martin this is because they spend more time resting and itching instead of foraging.
"They cannot meet the energy requirements they need because they are eating less," she said.
Researchers also discovered that wombats with mange develop altered fatty acid composition in their adipose tissue, which indicates that a high-fat diet may be a solution to fight against the deadly disease.
"This research is a small part of a larger project working to help manage sarcoptic mange in wild wombats, and we hope these results will help guide management moving forward," Martin said.
