ECTOPARASITES AND THEIR DAMAGE IN BACKYARD TURKEYS IN OAXACA’S COAST, MEXICO

The ectoparasites are major animal health problems in poultry farms, can be a health problem for themselves or vectors of various etiologic agents of disease. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to describe the main effects of the domestic turkey ectoparasites obtained from traditional breeding in backyard. Seventy five turkeys were examined backyard; the ectoparasites were collected for identification. Menopon gallinae, Menacanthus cornutus, Oxylipeurus polytrapezius, Menacanthus stramineus, Chelopistes meleagridis, Oxylipeurus corpulentus, and Colpocephalum turbinatum, lice species are identified. The last two are reported for the first time in domestic turkeys. Mites identified were Dermanyssus gallinae, Megninia ginglymura, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, and Knemidokoptes mutans. This is the largest list of ectoparasites in turkeys wild or domesticated reported until today. The lesions found were plucking dermatitis, skin irritation, mild to moderate, in the case of avian scabies severe injuries below the scaly skin of legs and tarsi. During the investigation there were two outbreaks of avian pox, related to the presence of ectoparasites. The backyard turkeys are hosts of a greater amount of ectoparasites, than those recorded for wild turkeys or turkey reared intensively, indicating that they are exposed to increased parasitic burden and this increases your chance of getting infectious diseases where external parasites act as vectors.