Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with severe itching and hair loss from poultry mite exposure
By Mignon, Bernard & Losson, Bertrand·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2008·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dermatitis in a horse associated with the poultry mite (Dermanyssus gallinae).
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 16-year-old horse developed severe itching and hair loss on its head after being in contact with domestic hens. Despite thorough testing, no mites were found on the horse itself, but they were present in the environment. The horse was treated with a permethrin spray applied weekly for four weeks, and the stable was regularly cleaned to reduce mite exposure. While complete eradication of the mites wasn't possible, the horse's dermatitis was managed effectively with ongoing treatment and stable maintenance, preventing further outbreaks.
People also search for: horse itching treatment · dermatitis in horses · poultry mite horse care
Abstract
This is the first documented case report of dermatitis associated with the poultry mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) in a horse. It occurred in a 16-year-old horse that was in contact with domestic hens. Clinical signs consisted of severe pruritus, with self-induced hair loss mainly on the head. Despite the multiple skin scrapings performed during both day- and nighttime, mites were only isolated from the in-contact poultry and from the horse's environment, and not the horse. The animal was treated using a 2% permethrin solution, sprayed on the entire body once a week for 4 weeks, and by decontamination of the horse's immediate environment. Although eradication of the mites and elimination of further contact between the horse and the poultry were not achievable, recurrence of dermatitis was prevented by regular applications of permethrin on the horse and biannual decontamination of the horse's stable.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18177291/