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Factors associated with prevalence and intensity of the northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) in commercial poultry farms of Argentina

Parasitology Research volume 121, pages 1281–1293 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

The haematophagous mite Ornithonyssus sylviarum may cause important economic losses in commercial poultry farms whilst also potentially affecting the health of farm workers. The dynamics of this ectoparasite has been linked to several factors, including wild birds, fomites, farm workers, management of hen houses, and host traits. Along two consecutive years, we carried out systematic sampling at three laying hen farms located in Santa Fe province, Argentina, with the aim of identifying factors that may influence O. sylviarum prevalence and intensity. We found that the density of feathers around the hen vent area and the presence of Menoponidae lice were negatively associated with mite abundance. We also found that the density of hens in the cages was negatively associated with mite prevalence, suggesting a possible dilution effect, whereas prior reports found a positive association with hen density. In addition, summer was the season with minimum mite prevalences and intensities, contrary to previous studies in northern farms where warm weather appeared to prompt an increase in mite populations. Another factor associated with mite intensity was age, but this effect varied depending on the season, which hints that the association between hen’s age and mites is complex. Basic epidemiological knowledge on O. sylviarum in poultry farms from South America may aid in a more efficient and integrative approach to its control.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the owners of the poultry farms for giving us permission to use their flocks to conduct this study. We would also like to thank Valeria Corbalán and Silvina Sorroche for the assistance during the field work and Exequiel Furlan for creating the map with field site locations.

Funding

This study was funded by the Argentine Council for Research and Technology, CONICET (www.conicet.gob.ar, Grant No. PIP 11220130100561CO), and by Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos (Res. 370–15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (UNL-CONICET), Esperanza, Argentina

    Sofía I. Arce, Darío E. Manzoli, Martín A. Quiroga & Pablo M. Beldomenico

  2. Instituto de Bio Y Geociencias del NOA (IBIGEO), Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (UNSa-CONICET), Salta, Argentina

    Leandro R. Antoniazzi

  3. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina

    Agustín A. Fasano, Darío E. Manzoli, Claudia C. Sosa & Pablo M. Beldomenico

  4. Facultad de Humanidades Y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina

    Micaela Gomez

  5. Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos (UADER), Parana, Argentina

    Martín A. Quiroga

  6. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos Y de Vectores (CEPAVE), CCT - CONICET - La Plata/Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina

    Marcela Lareschi

Authors
  1. Sofía I. Arce
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  2. Leandro R. Antoniazzi
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  3. Agustín A. Fasano
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  4. Darío E. Manzoli
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  5. Micaela Gomez
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  7. Martín A. Quiroga
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  8. Marcela Lareschi
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  9. Pablo M. Beldomenico
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Contributions

All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Idea of article by Pablo M. Beldomenico; data collection by Sofia I. Arce, Agustín Fasano, Claudia Sosa, Micaela Gomez, and Leandro R. Antoniazzi; draft preparation by Sofia I. Arce and Pablo M. Beldomenico; review and editing by all authors; and funding acquisition by Pablo M. Beldomenico and Martín A. Quiroga.

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Arce, S.I., Antoniazzi, L.R., Fasano, A.A. et al. Factors associated with prevalence and intensity of the northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) in commercial poultry farms of Argentina. Parasitol Res 121, 1281–1293 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07484-w

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