<p>Sarcoptic mange, a widespread and highly contagious disease caused by <i>Sarcoptes scabiei</i> mites, affects a wide range of mammals, including the red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>). Being a zoonosis, mange can be considered a potential public health issue, of conservation relevance, as many wildlife species are susceptible to mite infection, with impacts on individuals’ fitness and populations’ viability. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and investigate the factors associated with the occurrence of sarcoptic mange compatible lesions in red fox populations in Portugal. Using camera trap datasets and a Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models (GLMM) approach, we inspected images of foxes for probable signs of mange and tested hypotheses related to ecological and environmental drivers of disease occurrence: climate conditions, land use composition and structure, host community abundance, soil composition, and altitude. Our results showed that 2.9% (<i>N</i> = 75) of examined photos had mange-compatible lesions. Annual mean precipitation, as well as primary productivity (NDVI), and wild mammal diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) were significantly associated with mange occurrence. We hypothesise that areas with higher precipitation promote higher survival of mites outside their hosts, while higher productivity and diversity of mammals promote direct and indirect opportunities for mite transmission. Altitude exhibited a negative correlation with disease occurrence, suggesting that higher altitude regions, with lower abundance/diversity of mammals, provide less suitable conditions for mite transmission. Our study highlights the complex interactions between environmental and biotic variables and their effect on mange dynamics, providing insightful new data that can inform monitoring and wildlife conservation strategies, thereby enhancing ecosystem resilience.</p>