Red poultry mite - Can it be transmitted to horses?

Some horse owners will be familiar with this: their beloved horse suffers from skin problems and is visibly bothered by them – the red poultry mite, which is often mistakenly diagnosed as “summer eczema,” may be to blame.

How do horses become infected with the red mite?

Horse stables are often used as nesting sites by sparrows and swallows. Or the stable may be located on a farm where chickens are also kept. While the red mite primarily infects birds, it occasionally infects mammals, including horses and humans. Especially in summer, the red mite population can grow rapidly, forcing the mites to search for new hosts. In this case, they will not shy away from even accidental hosts like horses.

What symptoms indicate an infestation in a horse?

The red mite is a bloodsucker. To feed, it attaches itself to the horse and sucks blood from the body. The result is bite wounds, some of which can become severely infected. Itching sets in. The horse tries to relieve this by scratching. The result: wounds that continue to grow.

The itching is caused by allergic reactions to saliva and feces, which are excreted by the mite during sucking and digestion. 

This can go so far that the horse loses its fur in the affected areas and large, crusty wounds develop. Mite infestation in horses is often not recognized immediately or the diagnosis is incorrect. Because the red poultry mite is a nocturnal parasite that hides in all sorts of nooks and crannies during daylight, a correct diagnosis is often very difficult. In addition, the red poultry mite is so small, less than a millimeter in diameter, that it is just visible on close inspection. To confirm a mite infestation, it is recommended to line the stable with a light-colored blanket. If there are dark spots on it the next day, the presence of the parasite is practically confirmed. In this case, the mite's excrement would be a clue.

What should be done if a horse is affected?

A horse infested with red mites suffers from severe itching and stress. Of course, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately. The most important thing now is to thoroughly clean the stable to reduce the mite population as much as possible.