Despite its environmental adaptability, the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is surprisingly susceptible to illnesses. Roundworm is the prime cause of calf death and adults suffer from tuberculosis and pasteurellosis. Many illnesses are transmitted by insects and to escape these pests buffaloes submerge themselves in water or mud with just their nostrils poking above the surface (a coating of dry mud also acts as an insect barrier). However, wallowing also exposes them to waterborne diseases. Despite this there are about 148 million domesticated water buffaloes, mostly in India and the Far East, and the species is not threatened - except in the wild, where numbers are down to 3000 or so.