The acaricidal speed of kill of orally administered fluralaner against poultry red mites (Dermanyssus gallinae) on laying hens and its impact on mite reproduction

Technological solutions and environmental conditions have a significant impact on infestation intensity and the problems around D. gallinae control. Changes in keeping laying hens in EU, in terms of D. gallinae influence, have not led to the welfare of the layers. On the contrary, they have contributed to the spreading of disease, have worsened conditions for control and accentuated harmful consequences. Apart from the poultry, these changes have also had a negative impact on the welfare of humans, through a toxicological and zootonic risk, and economic damages. Conventional cages so far provide the most appropriate environment for D. gallinae control. Opportunities for improving, even solving the problem of D. gallinae control in egg production do exist, however they require a changing the entire approach hitherto.

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Characterisation of a cysteine protease from poultry red mites and its potential use as a vaccine for chickens

Parasite ◽

10.1051/parasite/2021005 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

Shiro Murata ◽

Ayaka Taniguchi ◽

Masayoshi Isezaki ◽

Sotaro Fujisawa ◽

Eishi Sakai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cysteine Protease ◽

Cathepsin L ◽

Cysteine Proteases ◽

Mite Species ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Dermanyssus Gallinae ◽

Physiological Processes ◽

Poultry Houses ◽

Poultry Red Mites ◽

Potential Use

Poultry red mites (PRMs, Dermanyssus gallinae) are ectoparasites that negatively affect farmed chickens, leading to serious economic losses worldwide. Acaricides have been used to control PRMs in poultry houses. However, some PRMs have developed resistance to acaricides, and therefore different approaches are required to manage the problems caused by PRMs. Vaccination of chickens is one of the methods being considered to reduce the number of PRMs in poultry houses. In a previous study, a cysteine protease, Deg-CPR-1, was identified as a candidate vaccine against PRMs distributed in Europe. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of Deg-CPR-1. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that Deg-CPR-1 is closely related to the digestive cysteine proteases of other mite species, and it was classified into a cluster different from that of chicken cathepsins. Deg-CPR-1 of PRMs in Japan has an amino acid substitution compared with that of PRMs in Europe, but it showed efficacy as a vaccine, consistent with previous findings. Deg-CPR-1 exhibited cathepsin L-like enzyme activity. In addition, the Deg-CPR-1 mRNA was expressed in the midgut and in all stages of PRMs that feed on blood. These results imply that Deg-CPR-1 in the midgut may have important functions in physiological processes, and the inhibition of its expression may contribute to the efficacy of a Deg-CPR-1-based vaccine. Further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms of vaccine efficacy.

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Production losses in laying hens during infestation with the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae

Avian Pathology ◽

10.1080/03079457.2019.1641179 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (sup1) ◽

pp. S17-S21 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Nathalie Sleeckx ◽

Stefaan Van Gorp ◽

Rik Koopman ◽

Ine Kempen ◽

Kristof Van Hoye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laying Hens ◽

Dermanyssus Gallinae ◽

Poultry Red Mite ◽

Production Losses

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Immunoglobulin-Y (IgY) levels in domestic fowl exposed to red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae)

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200010838 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2005 ◽

pp. 172-172

Author(s):

S. Arkle ◽

J. H. Guy ◽

O. Sparagano

Keyword(s):

Blood Meal ◽

Domestic Fowl ◽

Egg Production ◽

Egg Size ◽

Laying Hens ◽

Dermanyssus Gallinae ◽

Serological Response ◽

Immunoglobulin Production ◽

Natural Exposure ◽

Egg Yolks

Red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae; De Geer, 1778) is currently the most economically deleterious ectoparasite of layer hens in several countries (Chauve, 1998). D. gallinae is an obligatory haematophagous ectoparasite of both domestic and wild birds (Bruneau et al., 2001), only found on the host during darkness when obtaining a blood meal. The remaining part of its lifecycle is spent concealed deep in the house substructure, in cracks and crevices, with control typically implemented via chemical spraying. Mite exposure in laying hens generally results in irritation, restlessness, anaemia, and occasionally death and may subsequently lead to decreased egg production, poor shell integrity, blood staining and egg size reductions (Chauve, 1998; Cosoroaba, 2001). Natural exposure to mite-antigens during feeding activates humoral immunity of the fowl, in the form of immunoglobulin production. However, the magnitude of this serological response over a prolonged infestation period and at different mite population levels is unclear. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the levels of anti-mite immunoglobulin present in egg yolks of laying hens in flocks infested with differing population levels of red mite over a period of 16 weeks.

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