Fatal <i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> and <i>Demodex</i> sp. co-infestation in wolves ( <i>Canis lupus</i> ) at the Białowieża National Park, Poland – is it a consequence of climate change?

The described analysis is the first documented co-infestation of this kind in wolves. The outbreak coincided with very mild winter conditions with a high average minimum temperature, which may have favoured mite survival outside the host, and light snowfall, which may have influenced the wolves' ability to hunt. Other potential drivers of the outbreak could be the large proportion of wetland terrain, increasing number of wolves in the area and anthropogenic pressure on their habitats including the migration crisis at the Polish-Belarusian border and the increased presence of military and border forces, even despite the relief from the anthropogenic pressure from tourism due to the COVID-19 lockdown.