Prevalence of Mites of Backyard Chicken in South-West Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh, chicken meat is an important source of protein for rural people. Chicken production also plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country. However, mite infestations are among the important hindrance in the development of this industry. Chicken mites suck blood and give irritation to the chicken. As a result, chicken become anaemic, emaciated and lose their production. A study was carried out on backyard chicken from January 2018 to December 2018 to determine the prevalence and identify the species of mites in South-West Bangladesh. Among 200 backyard chicken (37 male and 163 female), 173 (86.5%) were infested. Four mite species, including Dermanyssus gallinae (56.5%), Ornithonyssus sylviarum (15.5%), Ornithonyssus bursa (9%) and Knemidocoptes mutans (5.5%), were found in the backyard chicken. The high prevalence of mites in backyard chicken indicates that mite infestation is a common problem in South-West Bangladesh. Therefore, awareness should be made among the producers and adequate preventive measures should be taken to control mite infestation inorder to gain optimum chicken production.