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Allergy & Immunology218 papers

Dermatosis caused by parasitic avian mite

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Dermatosis caused by parasitic avian mites, commonly affecting birds, manifests as pruritic skin lesions, feather loss, and general discomfort due to infestation. These mites often thrive in crowded or unsanitary conditions, impacting avian health significantly 15.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical Signs: Pruritic dermatitis, alopecia, and visible mites or mite eggs on the skin 5.
  • Diagnostic Tests: Skin scrapings examined microscopically for mites or eggs 5.
  • Differential Diagnosis: Rule out other dermatological conditions such as bacterial or fungal infections 8.
  • Management

  • First-Line Treatments:
  • - Topical Acaricides: Fipronil or permethrin-based products applied directly to the skin or feathers 5. - Systemic Acaricides: Oral or injectable ivermectin for broader coverage 5.
  • Adjunctive Measures:
  • - Environmental Control: Thorough cleaning and treatment of the living environment to eliminate mites 5. - Supportive Care: Antihistamines or corticosteroids for pruritus and inflammation 8.

    Special Populations

  • Pregnancy: Specific acaricide safety data in pregnant birds is limited; consult expert opinion for safer alternatives [Expert opinion].
  • Pediatrics: Juvenile birds may require more frequent monitoring and gentler treatments to avoid toxicity [Expert opinion].
  • Comorbidities: In birds with concurrent infections, manage secondary infections concurrently with acaricidal treatment 8.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Perform skin scrapings for microscopic examination to confirm mite infestation (Evidence: Moderate 5).
  • Implement both topical and systemic acaricidal treatments for comprehensive control (Evidence: Expert opinion).
  • Ensure environmental decontamination to prevent re-infestation (Evidence: Expert opinion).
  • References

    1 Ottinger MA, Coverdale B, Mani S, Maness T, Grace J, Krüger S. Wild Bird Reproduction: Neuroendocrinology, Conservation Biology, and Environmental Threats. Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2026. link 2 Khelik I, Kanda I, Grindstaff JL, Brandão J. Effective Dose 50 of Intranasal Lorazepam for Clinical Sedation in Zebra Finches (. Journal of avian medicine and surgery 2026. link 3 Im O, Kim SR, Na KJ, Min KD, Jeong DH. Reference intervals for hematology and biochemistry in juvenile Eastern spot-billed ducks (Anas zonorhyncha) and validation of an automated hematology analyzer for avian blood analysis. PloS one 2025. link 4 Elshafei SO, Mahmoud NA, Almofti YA. Immunoinformatics, molecular docking and dynamics simulation approaches unveil a multi epitope-based potent peptide vaccine candidate against avian leukosis virus. Scientific reports 2024. link 5 Skehel A, Ulloa C, Deresienski D, Regalado C, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Garcia JA et al.. Health status of the red-billed tropicbird (. PeerJ 2023. link 6 Kairalla MA, Alshelmani MI, Aburas AA. Effect of diet supplemented with graded levels of garlic (. Open veterinary journal 2022. link 7 Perez-Rivero JJ, Lozada-Gallegos AR, Herrera-Barragán JA. Surgical Extraction of Viable Hen ( Gallus gallus domesticus) Follicles for In Vitro Fertilization. Journal of avian medicine and surgery 2018. link 8 Jones MP. Avian hematology. The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice 2015. link 9 Wingfield JC, Visser ME, Williams TD. Introduction. Integration of ecology and endocrinology in avian reproduction: a new synthesis. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences 2008. link 10 Fernandez JB, Glotzer DL, Triola MM, Psoter WJ. A unique role for dental school faculty: telephone triage training and integration into a health departments' emergency response planning. American journal of disaster medicine 2008. link 11 Lilliehöök I, Wall H, Tauson R, Tvedten H. Differential leukocyte counts determined in chicken blood using the Cell-Dyn 3500. Veterinary clinical pathology 2004. link 12 Scott TR. Our current understanding of humoral immunity of poultry. Poultry science 2004. link 13 Lane R. Basic techniques in pet avian clinical pathology. The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice 1991. link50130-3) 14 Blähser S. Peptidergic pathways in the avian brain. The Journal of experimental zoology 1984. link 15 Gaudry D. Report of IABS committee on avian product standardization. Developments in biological standardization 1978. link 16 Bigland CH, Matsumoto JJ. Nonspecific reactions to Mycoplasma antigens caused in turkeys sera by Erysipelothrix insidiosa bacterin. Avian diseases 1975. link 17 Watson KE, Nowinski RC, Yaniv A, Spiegelman S. Serological analysis of the deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase of avian oncornaviruses. I. Preparation and characterization of monospecific antiserum with purified deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase. Journal of virology 1972. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
      Wild Bird Reproduction: Neuroendocrinology, Conservation Biology, and Environmental Threats.Ottinger MA, Coverdale B, Mani S, Maness T, Grace J, Krüger S Advances in experimental medicine and biology (2026)
    2. [2]
      Effective Dose 50 of Intranasal Lorazepam for Clinical Sedation in Zebra Finches (Khelik I, Kanda I, Grindstaff JL, Brandão J Journal of avian medicine and surgery (2026)
    3. [3]
    4. [4]
    5. [5]
      Health status of the red-billed tropicbird (Skehel A, Ulloa C, Deresienski D, Regalado C, Muñoz-Pérez JP, Garcia JA et al. PeerJ (2023)
    6. [6]
      Effect of diet supplemented with graded levels of garlic (Kairalla MA, Alshelmani MI, Aburas AA Open veterinary journal (2022)
    7. [7]
      Surgical Extraction of Viable Hen ( Gallus gallus domesticus) Follicles for In Vitro Fertilization.Perez-Rivero JJ, Lozada-Gallegos AR, Herrera-Barragán JA Journal of avian medicine and surgery (2018)
    8. [8]
      Avian hematology.Jones MP The veterinary clinics of North America. Exotic animal practice (2015)
    9. [9]
      Introduction. Integration of ecology and endocrinology in avian reproduction: a new synthesis.Wingfield JC, Visser ME, Williams TD Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (2008)
    10. [10]
      A unique role for dental school faculty: telephone triage training and integration into a health departments' emergency response planning.Fernandez JB, Glotzer DL, Triola MM, Psoter WJ American journal of disaster medicine (2008)
    11. [11]
      Differential leukocyte counts determined in chicken blood using the Cell-Dyn 3500.Lilliehöök I, Wall H, Tauson R, Tvedten H Veterinary clinical pathology (2004)
    12. [12]
    13. [13]
      Basic techniques in pet avian clinical pathology.Lane R The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice (1991)
    14. [14]
      Peptidergic pathways in the avian brain.Blähser S The Journal of experimental zoology (1984)
    15. [15]
      Report of IABS committee on avian product standardization.Gaudry D Developments in biological standardization (1978)
    16. [16]
    17. [17]

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