Ornithonyssus sylviarum (also known as the northern fowl mite) is a haematophagous ectoparasite of poultry.[1] In both size and appearance, it resembles the red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae.[2] They primarily infect egg laying chickens. They contribute to economic damage and feed on their host's blood which leads to lowering the egg production and feed conversion efficiency. Anemia or death can be an effect of a high amount of infestation within the birds. While they mainly do target wild birds they can also become permanent ectoparasites in the domestic poultry. The main nesting sites are generally in a close proximity to poultry coops.
| Ornithonyssus sylviarum | |
|---|---|
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| Ornithonyssus sylviarum. Scale 1/10 mm, i. e. animal size is about 0.8 mm. | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Mesostigmata |
| Family: | Macronyssidae |
| Genus: | Ornithonyssus |
| Species: | O. sylviarum
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| Binomial name | |
| Ornithonyssus sylviarum (G. Canestrini & Fanzago, 1877)
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This blood-feeding parasite is broadly distributed, and has been reported on 72 host species of North American birds in 26 families. The mites have been a major pest of the poultry industry since the early 1900s.[3][4] The spread of these mites are mainly because they have the ability to hide in cracks or wild birds nests. In relation to humans they can hide in equipment and rodents. They have a high range of widespread in places like North America, Brazil, Australia, and China.”
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Owen JP, Delany ME, Cardona CJ, Bickford AA, Mullens BA (June 2009). "Host inflammatory response governs fitness in an avian ectoparasite, the northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum)". International Journal for Parasitology. 39 (7): 789–799. doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.12.008. PMID 19640462.
- ^ Weisbroth, Steven H. (1960). "The Differentiation of Dermanyssus gallinae from Ornithonyssus sylviarum". Avian Diseases. 4 (2): 133–137. doi:10.2307/1587499. JSTOR 1587499.
- ^ Murillo, Amy C.; Mullens, Bradley A. (2017). "A review of the biology, ecology, and control of the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae)". Veterinary Parasitology. 246: 30–37. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.09.002. PMID 28969777.
- ^ Knee, Wayne; Proctor, Heather (2007). "Host Records for Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) from Birds of North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico)". Journal of Medical Entomology. 44 (4): 709–713. doi:10.1093/jmedent/44.4.709. PMID 17695029.