Identification of ectoparasites in indigenous poultry in southern areas of West Azerbaijan, Iran: A study on the prevalence and importance of these parasites

Poultry products are considered as one of the most important sources of food for humans, worldwide. Indigenous poultry production has grown in popularity among villagers and some urbanites due to simple maintenance conditions, adequate adaption of poultry to different climatic conditions, and acceptable product yield. Parasites are among the main pathogenic agents, threatening the health of poultry and poultry products. The present study was carried out in northwest of Iran between March 2013 and December 2015 to determine the prevalence of ectoparasite species, infesting local chickens. Different parts of the bird''s body were inspected for ectoparasites. The parasites were collected from the birds by displaying the feathers horizontally against the anatomical orientation for the purpose of exposure. Then, the separated parasites were identified according to the diagnostic guidelines. Based on the findings, of 160 chickens examined, 110 (68.7%) samples had one or more types of ectoparasites. The prevalence of infestation was higher in females (74.5%) than males (56%), although the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Menopon gallinae was the most frequent species (65.4%), followed by Menacanthus stramineus (37.2%), Lipeurus caponis (10.9%), and Dermanyssus gallinae (9.1%). The present study indicated that ectoparasitic infestation was highly prevalent among chickens in the studied areas. However, further detailed studies are recommended with a focus on ectoparasites infestations and their impacts.