Horses, abandoned by their owners (stray horses) along the main roads in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, and brought by the Federal Police to a quarantine station at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, were included in the study. A total of 1,121 horses were examined from November 1998 to November 2000. Skin scrapings from 107 (9.5%) horses with signs of psoroptic mange resulted in 37 (34.6%) positive animals for Psoroptes equi. There was no statistical correlation between prevalence and host age or sex (chi2, p>0,05). P. equi was diagnosed in animals with different hair color. The dorsal region (withers to hip) was the most affected area of the body.
Psoroptes equi; Acari; Psoroptidae; mange; horses; Brazil
