ECTOPARASITES IN POULTRY AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT PRODUCTION
Dr. Rambabu.D, Associate Professor
Dept. of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary Science, Korutla
PV Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University
Jagtial dist – 505 326. Telangana State.
e-mail: ram_vetdoc@rediffmail.com
For poultry farmers that raise small flocks as well as occasionally huge flocks, external parasites can be a serious problem. This article explores the various parasites that affect chickens and covers strategies for controlling them. For poultry farmers that raise small flocks as well as occasionally huge flocks, external parasites can be a serious problem. Wild birds or birds being added to the flock can bring these unwanted guests into the poultry coop. Before they are combined with the old flock, all new birds should be inspected for parasites. Oklahoman birds are susceptible to lice, mites, and occasionally chiggers as parasites. Other than birds, no other species carry the lice and mites because they are host-specific.
Poultry ectoparasites
Broilers or laying hens’ health and productivity can be impacted by a variety of diseases. Parasites, particularly specifically external parasites, are a significant category (ectoparasites). Ectoparasites are a class of arthropod animals that can spread harmful organisms including bacteria, viruses, and fungus in addition to inflicting direct harm.
Ectoparasite issues are common in poultry. They result in reduced egg production, anaemia, pain, weight loss, and mortality in laying hens. They reduce the rate of weight gain at broiler chicken.
Finally, due to their resistance to antiparasitics, ectoparasites in poultry are challenging to control. Some of them are also tolerant to unfavourable environmental factors.
The red bird mite or Dermanyssus gallinae
The red mite is the first type of mite. The hen’s mite is another name for it. The term “red mite” refers to the hue the parasite developed after ingesting avian blood.
Cycle: The female mites continuously consume hens’ blood. They then deposit eggs on the bird after that. The hexapod larvae (which have six legs) that hatch from these eggs do not feed on blood. Then, larvae develop into eight-legged nymphs. Nymphs feed on blood at night and hide in the shed during the day. Once they reach adulthood, the cycle repeats again.
Clinical symptoms: During the day, this poultry mite stays in the shed’s beds or crevices. It moves and visits the hens to feed during the night. It results in a 25% reduction in the laying rate. Because it is a hematophagous mite, it feeds on avian blood, which results in anaemia and gradual weight loss. Additionally, when bitten, it can spread several Salmonella bacteria species.
Prognosis: Mites are discovered in avian feathers at night. The reddish colour of mites makes them easy to spot. The parasite’s daytime resting place, soil dust samples can be used to diagnose the condition. The superficial dermis may occasionally exhibit perivascular eosinophilic infiltration as shown in histology.
Therapy and management: The mite’s habitat should be controlled during treatment. The mite typically stays concealed in the shed’s crevices and slits. Acaricide treatments should be used for this when the shed is vacant and in its resting phase. Given that mites can go without food for long periods of time and can develop resistance to antiparasitics, sanitization should be performed numerous times while the shed is at rest.
Importance: It is the most significant ectoparasite in the world’s poultry industry, particularly for laying hens. But it is a parasite that is spread by zoonotic animals. It can spread to mammals, including humans, as well as other birds, including pigeons, turkeys, and wild birds.
Leg scabies
Due to the injuries it produces, Knemidocoptes mutans, often known as “scab of the legs,” “calcareous legs,” or “elephantiasic legs,” causes scabies of the legs.
Cycle: The parasite is spread by touch. The larvae are laid on the bird’s skin by the viviparous female. They eventually develop into nymphs and adults, usually on the animal. Between the scales on a bird’s foot, the mite lives. After producing lesions, the parasite and the scabs fall to the ground together. The mite climbs through the feet of the bird that step on these scabs to go to another bird.
Clinical symptoms: Leg lesions are clearly visible in birds with Knemidocoptes mutans. Leg exudates, flaking, dryness, and scabs are caused by the parasite excavating in the skin. Injuries typically begin in the fingertips and work their way up. Claudication and, in more severe situations, arthritis and prostration, may develop in the bird.
Diagnosis: The signs on the legs are used to make the diagnosis. You can send a scraping of the skin or scales to the lab for a microscope examination. The Knemidocoptes mutans mites have short legs and a roundish shape.
Treatment and management: To stop the parasite from spreading to healthy birds, isolate the affected birds at first. After that, clean the damaged birds’ legs by removing the harmed scales. Apply intramuscular or topically applied ivermectin to treat the lesions directly. Additionally, acaricide treatments are applied in the shed to manage the environment.
Ticks
Soft tick of birds
Etiology: Argas persicus is the principal tick that affects birds.
Lifecycle: Female Argas ticks ingest bird blood. They make their oviposition with the nutrition they’ve acquired, and the larvae hatch after a few weeks. To climb up and eat the hens, these larvae search for the hens. They then transform into nymphs that keep feeding on the blood. They eventually reach adulthood.
Clinical symptoms: Birds with a soft tick infestation develop severe anaemia. Anemia affects weight gain and causes animals to seem pale, feeble, and prostrate. Other infections like bacteria, hemoparasites, and rickettsias are transmitted by ticks.
Ticks can be identified by directly observing the parasite on birds. Ticks should be sent to a lab to verify the diagnosis.
Treatment and prevention: It is advised to implement integrated tick control. Use chemical techniques like pyrethroids, carbamates, or antiparasitic organophosphates for this. It’s also suggested to use biological and environmental controls. This control entails performing a thorough sanitization of the sheds during downtime in order to get rid of life stages like eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults. To stop ticks from getting into the shed, the farm needs to control the entry of wild birds.
Lice
A class of parasites known as lice sometimes interferes with the growth of chickens. There are multiple species at play, all of which are referred to here as pediculosis, which is Latin for “lice infestation.”
Poultry pediculosis
Head lice, wing lice, Menopon gallinae (wing lice), Lipeurus caponi (wing lice), and Menacanthus stramineus are the etiological agents (body lice). There are many different types of bird lice, and they can be identified by the infected bird where they prefer to live.
Cycle: Because lice complete their whole life cycle on the bird, direct contact between birds is how the infection is spread. Nits are the name for the eggs that adult females lay at the base of the feathers. Larvae that subsequently develop into nymphs hatch from nits. Then they mature into adults.
Clinical indicators: Lice frequently ingest bird skin detritus. But because of the injuries they inflict, which can bleed, lice feed on the wounds. The long-term effects of pediculosis include anaemia, prostration, frailty, and reduced egg production.
Diagnosis: Lice between feathers can be directly observed to provide a diagnosis. Another option is to gather bird feathers and send them to a lab for confirmation of their existence.
Treatment and control: Since birds are where lice always dwell, treatment must be applied to them. A complement to environmental control is the exclusion of outside birds. A class of antiparasitics known as pyrethroids can be sprayed or applied as powder to birds. Even if they are harmless, take into account the withdrawal period and avoid poisoning.
Conclusions
Infected birds may have significant clinical signs as a result of external parasites. Additionally, their presence has a detrimental effect on poultry’s ability to produce eggs or meat. Monitoring their appearance is crucial for prompt, effective control and treatment.
