Mesostigmatid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) at the domestic-wildlife interface: Poultry and passerine birds of central Argentina

ARCE, SOFÍA I.; MONJE, LUCAS D.; ANTONIAZZI, LEANDRO R.; SOSA, CLAUDIA C.; FASANO, AGUSTÍN A.; QUIROGA, MARTÍN A.; LARESCHI, MARCELA; BELDOMENICO, PABLO M.

VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2020

0304-4017

Wild birds are considered a possible source of mesostigmatid mites for poultry, although only few studies explored this hypothesis. In addition, there is very little information about the parasitic mites present in commercial poultry systems from southern South America. To contribute with data on mesostigmatid mites at the domestic-wildlife interface in Argentina, samples were systematically collected for two years from laying hens, adult wild birds and wild bird nestlings at three commercial laying hen farms. The occurrence of mesostigmatid mites were compared among hosts, and the seasonal dynamics of these parasites on adult wild birds and laying hens was assessed. A proportion of the collected mites were morphologically identified to the species level, which showed that host preference varied greatly depending on mite species: laying hens were only parasitised by Ornithonyssus sylviarum, wild bird nestlings were mostly parasitised by O. bursa, and in small proportion, by O. sylviarum, while adult passerines were parasitised by both Ornithonyssus species, and sporadically by Pellonyssuscf. reedi and Demarnyssuscf. triscutatus. The seasonality of mesostigmatid mitesshowed a consistent pattern in wild birds and laying hens especiallyin the second sampling year, with lowest prevalences and intensities during the summer, except for O. bursa, whoseseasonal pattern matched the reproductive activity of wild birds. A phylogenetic analysis based on a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene was carried out for a subsample of the mites collected, showing that O. sylviarum mites present on adult wild birds and laying hens had the same haplotype (100% identity). Additionally, mites obtained from wild birds morphologically identified as O. bursa presented two distinctive haplotypes (89.8% identity), one phylogenetically related to O. sylviarum and the other to Ornithonyssus monteiroi. These findings show that in central Argentina commercial laying hens are parasitisedmainly by O. sylviarum while wild birds are also hosts to othermite species. Adult wild passerines, especially house sparrows, may be a source of O. sylviarum for commercial poultry.