Biospectrum Horizons: A Journal of Life Science Research (JASLSRI)

e-ISSN: 3139-1524 • CC BY 4.0

Register Login
Biospectrum Horizons: A Journal of Life Science Research / Biological & Molecular Sciences / Vol. 1, No. 1 (2025) / pp. 72-79
Open Access • CC BY 4.0

A Comprehensive Note on Ectoparasites Affecting Domestic Fowl: a Global Perspective with Special Emphasis on India

Vijay Kumar 1*

1 Veerangana Avantibai Government Degree College Atrauli Aligarh UP, India (*Corresponding author: entomology3@yahoo.com)

Published on: December 15, 2025 • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19683255 • Peer-Reviewed Open Access

Abstract

Ectoparasites infesting domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) represent a significant and pervasive threat to the health, welfare and productivity worldwide. These ectoparasites inhabit the skin, feathers, and external surfaces of the birds. They feed on blood causes direct damage, skin irritation and feather destruction. they also serve as vectors for viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens. Poultry sector in India is vast and rapidly expanding industry, encompassing both intensive commercial units and extensive backyard systems. Infestation of ectoparasite poses a substantial economic burden and a constraint to sustainable production. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the major ectoparasitic groups (lice, mites, fleas, ticks, and bugs) infesting domestic fowl globally. It covers the present status of research in taxonomy, morphology, life cycles, clinical and economic impacts, diagnostic methods, and integrated control strategies. This review paper emphasised on the need for region-specific epidemiological studies, the monitoring of acaricide resistance, and the development of sustainable, holistic management approaches tailored to diverse production systems.
Keywords: Poultry Ectoparasites Lice Mites Menopon gallinae Dermanyssus gallinae India Poultry Health Integrated Pest Management.

References 15

Standard Academic Bibliography
[1]

Chauve, C. (1998). The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778): current situation and future prospects for control. Veterinary Parasitology, 79(3), 239-245.

[2]

George, D. R., Finn, R. D., & Sparagano, O. A. E. (2015). Present and future potential of plant-derived products to control arthropods of veterinary and medical significance. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 67(4), 461-477.

[3]

Hoogstraal, H. (1985). Argasid and nuttalliellid ticks as parasites and vectors. Advances in Parasitology, 24, 135-238.

[4]

Jonsson, N. N., & Mayer, D. G. (1999). Estimation of the economic impact of Dermanyssus gallinae infestation in the laying hen industry. International Journal of Parasitology, 29(8), 1305-1307.

[5]

Kilpinen, O., et al. (2005). Influence of Dermanyssus gallinae infestation on the behavior of laying hens. British Poultry Science, 46(1), 26-34.

[6]

Latha, B. R., Aiyasamy, R., & Dhanalakshmi, H. (2014). Prevalence of ectoparasites of poultry in Tamil Nadu. Indian Veterinary Journal, 91(11), 68-70.

[7]

Mul, M. F., et al. (2015). Development and validation of an automated monitoring system for the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae. Poultry Science, 94(1), 84-89.

[8]

Nayak, D. C., et al. (2018). Prevalence of ectoparasites in backyard poultry of Odisha, India. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 42(2), 268-272.

[9]

Pritchard, J., et al. (2015). Understanding the biology and control of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae: a review. Avian Pathology, 44(3), 143-153.

[10]

Roy, L., et al. (2010). Diversity of ectoparasites in sylvan and domestic environments: the case of the poultry red mite. Journal of Medical Entomology, 47(1), 26-30.

[11]

Shyma, K. P., Gupta, J. P., & Singh, V. (2013). Acaricidal effect of herbal extracts against cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae: A review. Journal of Parasitic Diseases, 37(1), 1-6.

[12]

Singh, A. K., et al. (2017). Prevalence of ectoparasitic infestation in domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) in and around Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 5(5), 1926-1929.

[13]

Sparagano, O. A. E., et al. (2014). Prevalence and key figures for the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae infections in poultry farm systems. Experimental and Applied Acarology, 63(1), 107-124.

[14]

Sychra, O., Harmat, P., & Literák, I. (2008). Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) on chickens (Gallus gallus) from small backyard flocks in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. Veterinary Parasitology, 152(3-4), 344-348.

[15]

Tomley, F. M., & Sparagano, O. A. E. (2018). Spotlight on avian pathology: red mite, a serious emergent problem in layer hens. Avian Pathology, 47(6), 533-535.

Metrics & Impact Live Stats

Article-Level Performance
1 Article Views
1 PDF Downloads
0 Crossref Citations
12 Altmetric Score

COUNTER Code of Practice Compliance

Usage metrics conform to COUNTER Release 5 standard reporting protocols, filtering out automated crawlers, bots, and rapid consecutive refresh requests.

Reader Options

Download PDF Galley

How to Cite

Kumar, V. (2025). A Comprehensive Note on Ectoparasites Affecting Domestic Fowl: a Global Perspective with Special Emphasis on India. Biospectrum Horizons: A Journal of Life Science Research, 1(1), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19683255
APA 7th Edition
More Citation Formats
Click any format to view & copy:
Download Citation

Share Article

Email Colleague ✉

License: CC BY 4.0

Published on: December 15, 2025

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19683255

Archival: Continuous Open Access