Warm weather contributes to ectoparasite infestations in backyard chickens

Parasitic Mite Fauna in Asian Poultry Farming Systems

The ubiquitous presence of hematophagous avian mites threatens the poultry industry in Asia and worldwide, adversely affecting the quality and quantity of eggs and poultry meat produced by affected flocks. This leads to considerable economic loss and welfare-related issues. The role of these blood-feeding arthropods as disease vectors is increasingly recognized as they may carry important zoonotic and epizootic pathogens. The poultry mites, Dermanyssus gallinae (Poultry Red Mite-PRM), Ornithonysus sylviarum (Northern Fowl Mite-NFM), and Ornithonyssus bursa (Tropical Fowl Mite-TFM) are endemic species across the Asian continent. In less frequency, scaly leg mite, depluming mite, and fowl cyst mite were documented. Considering global climate change and the popularity of backyard farming, the incidence of avian mite infestation is expected to increase as Asian production expands. The TFM may start to colonize sub-tropical nations where the seasonal temperature is comparable to tropical regions. Pyrethroids, organophosphates, carbamates, and macrocyclic lactones are licensed acaricides for use in China, Japan, and India. In recent years, the development of acaricide resistance has compromised the efficacy of chemical control measures. Several botanical acaricides based on plant and fungal constituents are being investigated. Judicious integration of multiple approaches to manage poultry mite infestation is advised. In this article, we review the prevalence, geographical distribution, zoonotic potential, and control measures of avian mites in poultry farms in Asia.