author(s)
Mamatha GS, Muniyellappa HK, Chandranaik BM and Thimmareddy PM

abstract
A total of 70,000 Commercial layer birds housed in raised platform system with 17,500 birds each in four poultry sheds were severely infested with mites at a Koppal district in Karnataka state. The infested birds were showing symptoms of restless, pale comb and wattles, intense scratching and decreased hen day egg production by 4%. In working personnel, intense itching with erythematic skin lesions were observed on hands, legs and neck region with a lot of discomfort due to crawling nature of mites. The nests and the dust accumulated on drinking water pipelines and the feeder supporting stands in the poultry sheds were collected, processed and examined for the presence of mites. Based on the standard morphological characters, the mites were identified as Ornithonyssus bursa. An insecticide, Malathion dusting and spraying was advised to birds and to poultry sheds, including drainage pipelines along with oral administration of ivermectin during evening hours.