Infestation potential of Psoroptes ovis (Hering) from cattle injected with ivermectin.

Cattle scabies mites, Psoroptes ovis (Hering), surviving on cattle injected subcutaneously with ivermectin were capable of infesting to unprotected cattle 3, 5, 7, and 9 days after injection. All recipient cattle exposed to mites from vehicle-injected cattle developed reproductive colonies in 5 weeks. All recipient cattle exposed to mites from ivermectin-injected cattle at 3 and 5 days after injection developed reproductive colonies in 5 weeks. By 8 weeks, 3 of 4 and 2 of 4 recipient cattle exposed to mites from ivermectin-injected cattle 7 and 9 days after injection, respectively, developed reproductive colonies. To prevent the spread of mites, injected cattle should be isolated from uninfested cattle for longer than 9 days.