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1 July 2015 KNEMIDOKOPTINID (EPIDERMOPTIDAE: KNEMIDOKOPTINAE) MITE INFESTATION IN WILD RED-CROWNED PARAKEETS (CYANORAMPHUS NOVAEZELANDIAE): CORRELATIONS BETWEEN MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS
Bethany Jackson, Allen Heath, Cathy Harvey, Carly Holyoake, Richard Jakob-Hoff, Arvind Varsani, Ian Robertson, Kris Warren
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Abstract

During a study on health and disease in Red-crowned Parakeets (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) on Tiritiri Matangi Island and Little Barrier Island (Hauturu-o-Toi) in New Zealand between 2011 and 2013, an outbreak of feather loss prompted the collection of skin biopsies (n = 135) under anesthesia from the head of captured birds. A subset of samples (n = 7) was frozen to obtain whole specimens for identification of ectoparasites. Mites (range 1–11) were observed in 79/135 (58.5%) skin biopsies, whereas feather loss was only found in 47/142 (33.1%) birds captured during the sampling period. Compact orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis and acanthosis were found in association with mites. Procnemidocoptes janssensi (Acari: Epidermoptidae, Knemidokoptinae) was identified from whole mites obtained from skin biopsies. We describe the presence, pathology, and stages of infestation for knemidokoptinid mange in a wild parrot population in New Zealand. Given the clinical and pathologic changes observed and poor knowledge of the parasite's New Zealand host and geographic distribution, further work is recommended for this and sympatric parrots, to understand relationships between the host, parasite, environment, and expression of disease. Results from this study reinforce the value of including biopsy samples for the investigation of skin disease in wild birds, particularly to link etiologic agents with pathologic changes.

© Wildlife Disease Association 2015
Bethany Jackson, Allen Heath, Cathy Harvey, Carly Holyoake, Richard Jakob-Hoff, Arvind Varsani, Ian Robertson, and Kris Warren "KNEMIDOKOPTINID (EPIDERMOPTIDAE: KNEMIDOKOPTINAE) MITE INFESTATION IN WILD RED-CROWNED PARAKEETS (CYANORAMPHUS NOVAEZELANDIAE): CORRELATIONS BETWEEN MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC FINDINGS," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 51(3), 651-663, (1 July 2015). https://doi.org/10.7589/2014-10-251
Received: 20 October 2014; Accepted: 1 February 2015; Published: 1 July 2015
KEYWORDS
Biopsy
Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
disease outbreak
Knemidokoptinae
mange
mites
parrots
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