Diagnosis and Treatment

If Knemidocoptes infection is suspected in your bird, a skin scraping of the affected areas will be examined under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis. In most cases, the mites will be clearly visible under magnification. If no mites are evident, a biopsy or tissue sample may be sent to an outside lab for histologic examination. All birds confirmed with Knemidocoptiasis, as well as birds that have had direct contact with symptomatic birds, should be immediately isolated. The drug of choice for treatment of Knemidocoptes infection is ivermectin, an antiparasitic. Most birds will receive an initial dose of ivermectin (orally, topically or injected) followed by a second dose 10 14 days later; however, canaries and finches often require longer treatment to clear the infection. While not as popular, moxidectin has also been found to effectively resolve Knemidocoptes infestations. Owners should not attempt to treat birds on their own as both of these drugs can be highly toxic if not administered appropriately. Additional treatments of infected birds include softening the crusts with non-toxic, water-soluble emollients (aloe vera) to facilitate removal. When working around the face of the bird, care should be taken to keep the nares clear of the exudate and aloe vera. Birds with extreme infection, including open sores, also benefit from treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs (meloxicam). Diets of affected birds should be evaluated for nutritional content, as well as vitamin A availability, and adjusted if needed.

Control and Prevention

To control a Knemidocoptes infestation and prevent recurrence, all bird cages should be broken down, cleaned, and thoroughly disinfected. Wooden perches should be discarded and replaced with new ones. In the case of poultry, bedding and straw should be removed from the poultry house, roosts should be sprayed with Neem oil, and new bedding should be added. If mite infestations are recurring, a full medical work-up may be indicated as recurrent Knemidocoptes may be secondary to underlying immunosuppressive disease in the bird. With proper treatment and husbandry, Knemidocoptes is readily controlled in healthy birds.

Treatment and Control of Scaly Leg and Face Mites

Knemidocoptes in a Great Horned Owl

References: Wade, Laura (2006). Knemidocoptiasis in birds. Retrieved 10/15/13 from http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/vetmed/ article/articleDetail.jsp?id=392958 Natural Way to Rid Chickens of Lice and Mites (2012). Retrieved 10/17/13 from http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/ 2012/12/natural-way-to-rid-chickens-of-lice.html

2013 Rhonda LaBelle, RVT

What is Knemidocoptes?
Birds kept as pets, or on urban farms, may be diagnosed with a condition commonly known as scaly leg and face mites. This skin infection is caused by the Knemidocoptes (nmi-d-koptz) species of mite. There are several different species of Knemidocoptes mites, all of which affect only birds. Knemidocoptes are known to parasitize galliform (chickens and turkeys), passerine (finches and canaries), and psittacine birds (parrots, macaws, budgerigars and cockatiels), but may also occur in pisiforms (toucans), anseriforms (ducks, geese and swans), and raptors (hawks, eagles and owls). While not transmissible to humans, an infestation of Knemidocoptes mites is similar to sarcoptic dermatitis (mange) in dogs.

coptes janssensi. Primarily psittacine birds are affected by K. pilae. The parrots most susceptible to infection are species native to Pacific waters -- budgerigars, Alexandrine and ringnecked parrots, scarlet-chested parakeets, cockatiels, cockatoos (especially palm and sulphur-crested cockatoos), and yellow-fronted Kakarikis but it has also been found in several South American parrots including green-winged macaws and Amazons. A different mite, K. mutans, targets domestic fowl such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, as well as several raptor species. P. janssensi has only been found in lovebirds.

Knemidocoptes laevis is a depluming mite that affects only pigeons; while Neocnemidocoptes gallinae is less discriminatory, affecting geese, pigeons, pheasants, and chickens.

Signs and Symptoms

With the exception of budgerigars (budgies), parrots are rarely infected with external parasites. Knemidocoptic dermatitis primarily affects budgies, finches, canaries, poultry, pigeons, and doves. The mite burrows into the outer layer of skin and feather follicles. Characteristic features of infection include scaly, crusty gray or tan lesions on the unfeathered areas (legs, feet, cere, and around the eyes), but will vary from species to species. In the budgie, lesions first develop at the commissures of the beak (corners of the mouth) and have a honeycomb appearance. Finches and canaries develop crusts on the plantar surface of the feet which gradually thickens causing a condition known as tassel foot.

Life Cycle and Transmission

The Knemidocoptes species of mite spends its entire three-week life cycle on the bird host. The female mite does not lay eggs but gives birth to live larvae called nymphs. After two nymphal stages, the mites shed one set of legs, maturing into four-legged adults. A Knemidocoptes infection primarily occurs through prolonged or close contact with an infected bird. The majority of mite infections are parent-to-chick transmission, but indirect transmission is possible through contact with contaminated perches or seed. All birds exposed to Knemidocoptes do not necessarily become infected with the mite. However, older birds do experience an increased incidence of developing clinical infection.

Budgerigar with Knemidocoptes

Scaly Leg Mites

Two species of Knemidocoptes infect only the legs of birds. Knemidocoptes jamaicensis is the primary mite affecting captive passerines canaries, Gouldian finches, and mynah birds. Knemidocoptes intermedius affects wild passerines. As both mites are carried in wild bird populations, they are easily spread to domestic collections housed in outdoor aviaries.

Raptors typically exhibit hyperkeratosis (extreme scalyness) of the feet; while symptoms in poultry include raised scales on the legs, severe weight loss, decreased egg production, and self-removal of feathers due to the severe itching caused by the mites. Left untreated, knemidocoptic dermatitis can result in malformation of the beak, feet, and toes. Birds are then predisposed to developing bacterial and fungal infections of the skin.

Depluming Mites
Three species of mites are known to infect primarily the feathers in birds, causing extensive feather damage and loss. Knemidocoptes gallinae is most active in the spring and summer months, burrowing into the basal shafts and f feathers of chickens, pigeons, and pheasants.

Scaly Leg and Face Mites

Three species of mites are known to infect both the legs and facial areas of birds: Knemidocoptes pilae, Knemidocoptes mutans, and Procnemido-

Finch exhibiting a condition called tassel foot