The Poultry Red Mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, travels far but not frequently, and takes up permanent residence on farms.

Management of Dermanyssus gallinae, a cosmopolitan hematophagous mite responsible for damage in layer poultry farming, is hampered by a lack of knowledge of its spatio-temporal population dynamics. Previous studies have shown that the circulation of this pest between farms is of strictly anthropogenic origin, that a mitochondrial haplogroup has been expanding on European farms since the beginning of the 21st century and that its local population growth may be particularly rapid. To refine our understanding of how D. gallinae spreads within and among farms, we characterized the genetic structure of mite populations at different spatial scales and sought to identify the main factors interrupting gene flow between poultry houses and between mitochondrial haplogroups. To this end, we selected and validated the first set of nuclear microsatellite markers for D. gallinae and sequenced a region of the CO1-encoding mitochondrial gene in a subsample of microsatellite-genotyped mites. We also tested certain conditions required for effective contamination of a poultry house through field experimentation, and conducted a survey of practices during poultry transfers. Our results confirm the role of poultry transport in the dissemination of mite populations, but the frequency of effective contamination after the introduction of contaminated material into poultry houses seems lower than expected. The high persistence of mites on farms, even during periods when poultry houses are empty and cleaned, and the very large number of nodes in the logistic network (large number of companies supplying pullets or transporting animals) undoubtedly explain the very high prevalence on farms. Substantial genetic diversity was measured in farm populations, probably as a result of the mite's known haplodiploid mode of sexual reproduction, coupled with the dense logistic network. The possibility of the occasional occurrence of asexual reproduction in this sexually reproducing mite was also revealed in our analyses, which could explain the extreme aggressiveness of its demographic dynamics under certain conditions.

Attractant Activity of Host-Related Chemical Blends on the Poultry Red Mite at Different Spatial Scales.

Many blood-feeding arthropods use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to detect their vertebrate hosts. The role of chemical interactions in mediating the behavior of hematophagous insects and ticks has been investigated before but remains poorly understood in hematophagous mesostigmatic mites. The poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae is an obligatory blood-sucking mesostigmatic mite that feeds on birds and causes damage in poultry farms. We characterized the attractive response of D. gallinae to candidate VOCs previously reported from the odor emitted by living hens. We performed in-vitro choice-test bioassays as well as semi-field and field trials using baited and unbaited traps, in the presence and absence of hens. Among different tested combinations of VOCs, a blend of 5 VOCs (mix1.0) was significantly attractive to our reference population of D. gallinae in vitro, whereas the same individual compounds tested alone were not attractive. Ammonia was attractive on its own and increased the mix1.0 attractiveness. The attractiveness of mix1.0 was confirmed at 'natural' spatial scales in the absence of hens both at the lab and on the farm that provided the reference population. The presence of hens inhibited the mix1.0 attractiveness. The attractive power of mix1.0 was not found in other farms. This research is an important step to advance our understanding of host-parasite interactions in hematophagous mesostigmatic mites and paves the way for developing alternative control tools against D. gallinae by interfering with chemical interactions. Moreover, it underlines the importance of assessing kairomonal activity on different pest populations when developing attract-and-kill systems.

High-throughput behavioral phenotyping of tiny arthropods: Chemosensory traits in a mesostigmatic hematophagous mite.

Pest management using attractive and/or repellent semiochemicals is a key alternative to synthetic insecticides. Its implementation requires a good understanding of the intra- and interspecific chemical interactions of arthropod pests, their interactions with their abiotic environment, as well as their evolutionary dynamics. Although mites include many pest species and biocontrol agents of economic importance in agriculture, their chemical ecology is largely understudied compared to insects. We developed a high-throughput ethomics system to analyze these small arthropods and conducted a study on Dermanyssus gallinae, a problematic poultry parasite in the egg industry. Our purpose was to elucidate the role played by host-derived odorants (synthetic kairomone) and conspecific odorants (mite body odors) in D. gallinae. After validating our nanocomputer controlled olfactometric system with volatile semiochemicals of known biological activity, we characterized response traits to kairomonal and/or pheromonal volatile blends in mites from different populations. We were able to accurately characterize the repulsion or attraction behaviors in >1000 individual specimens in a standardized way. Our results confirm the presence of a volatile aggregation pheromone emitted by D. gallinae and bring new elements to the effect of odor source presentation. Our results also confirm the attractive effect on Dermanyssus gallinae of a blend of volatile compounds contained in hen odor, while highlighting a repellent effect at high concentration. Significant interindividual and interpopulation variation was noted particularly in responses to synthetic kairomone. This information lays a valuable foundation for further exploring the emergence risk of resistance to semiochemicals.

Host plants and insecticides shape the evolution of genetic and clonal diversity in a major aphid crop pest.

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of pesticide resistance at the landscape scale is essential to anticipate the evolution and spread of new resistance phenotypes. In crop mosaics, host plant specialization in pest populations is likely to dampen the spread of pesticide resistance between different crops even in mobile pests such as aphids. Here, we assessed the contribution of host-based genetic differentiation to the dynamics of resistance alleles in Myzus persicae, a major aphid pest which displays several insecticide resistance mechanisms. We obtained a representative sample of aphids from a crop mosaic through a suction trap for 7 years and from various crops as a reference collection. We genotyped these aphids at 14 microsatellite markers and four insecticide-resistant loci, analyzed the genetic structure, and assigned host-based genetic groups from field-collected aphids. Four well-defined genetic clusters were found in aerial samples, three of which with strong association with host-plants. The fourth group was exclusive to aerial samples and highly divergent from the others, suggesting mixture with a closely related taxon of M. persicae associated with unsampled plants. We found a sharp differentiation between individuals from peach and herbaceous plants. Individuals from herbaceous hosts were separated into two genetic clusters, one more strongly associated with tobacco. The 4-loci resistance genotypes showed a strong association with the four genetic clusters, indicative of barriers to the spread of resistance. However, we found a small number of clones with resistant alleles on multiple host-plant species, which may spread insecticide resistance between crops. The 7-year survey revealed a rapid turn-over of aphid genotypes as well as the emergence, frequency increase and persistence of clones with resistance to several families of insecticides. This study highlights the importance of considering landscape-scale population structure to identify the risk of emergence and spread of insecticide resistance for a particular crop.

Population dynamics of a poultry hematophagous mite: characterization of the population growth and identification of factors of its slowdown using closed mesocosms.

BACKGROUND: A thorough knowledge of the population dynamics of pests and of the main factors affecting population growth is an important prerequisite for the development of effective control strategies. Failures of various treatments aimed at regulating populations of Dermanyssus gallinae are regularly reported in poultry farms and pullulations occur very quickly after first detection. To finely characterize population dynamics of D. gallinae, and to identify the factors modulating population growth, we conducted two successive multi-generation experiments using closed mesocosms equipped with or without automatic counters and housing a host full- or part-time (three nights per week). RESULTS: Population growth was very rapid and the adult to juvenile ratio very different from the prediction by a mathematical model. A male-biased sex ratio was observed in some mesocosms from 21 days and in most mesocosms from 35 days of population growth originating from an inoculum of adult females. A dramatic slowdown in growth was measured in mesocosms equipped with trackers, where the mites' path to the host was constrained. The slowdown in population growth induced by the intermittent presence of the host compared to its full-time presence was much less marked. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest avenues of research for new management methods. They question the relevance of a critical threshold based on traditional trap monitoring to manage D. gallinae. Our results highlight a unique characteristic of D. gallinae that makes it a recalcitrant case to threshold-based practices recommended for integrated pest management (IPM) against other arthropod pests. The dramatic effect of a physical constraint for the mite to access the host (unnatural constrained path) confirms an observation made in 1917 and is a reason to design perches that are less conducive to parasite traffic. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Who Is Dermanyssus gallinae? Genetic Structure of Populations and Critical Synthesis of the Current Knowledge.

Despite the economic and animal welfare importance of the Poultry Red Mite Dermanyssus gallinae, its genetic structure has been studied in a scattered way so far. The prophylaxis and control of such a globally distributed ectoparasite can be significantly improved by understanding its genetic population structure (composition in species and intraspecific variants). The present study aims to establish a rigorous framework for characterizing the neutral genetic structure of D. gallinae based on a literature review combined with an integrative analysis of the data available in GenBank on population-level nucleotide sequence diversity supplemented by a new dataset. The integrative analysis was conducted on sequence data extracted from GenBank coupled with new sequences of two fragments of the mitochondrial gene encoding Cytochrome Oxidase I (CO1) as well as of an intron of the nuclear gene encoding Tropomyosin (Tpm) from several PRM populations sampled from European poultry farms. Emphasis was placed on using the mitochondrial gene encoding CO1 on which the main universal region of DNA barcoding in animals is located. The species D. gallinae sensu lato is a species complex, encompassing at least two cryptic species, i.e., not distinguishable by morphological characters: D. gallinae sensu stricto and D. gallinae L1. Only D. gallinae s.s. has been recorded among the populations sampled in poultry farms worldwide. Current knowledge suggests they are structured in three mitochondrial groups (haplogroups A, B, and C). Haplogroup A is cosmopolitan, and the other two present slightly contrasted distributions (B rather in the northern part of Europe, C most frequently found in the southern part). Recent data indicate that a dynamic geographic expansion of haplogroup C is underway in Europe. Our results also show that NUMT (nuclear mitochondrial DNA) pseudogenes have generated artifactual groups (haplogroups E and F). It is important to exclude these artifact groups from future analyses to avoid confusion. We provide an operational framework that will promote consistency in the analysis of subsequent results using the CO1 fragment and recommendations for future analyses.

Population-level impact of native arthropod predators on the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae.

Stimulating the regulation of pests by their natural enemies is a way to improve the sustainability of agriculture and respect for the environment. However, the presence of natural enemies does not guarantee the existence of a pest control service. To what extent are predatory mites commonly found in henhouses actually able to regulate a major egg industry pest mite, Dermanyssus gallinae? To answer this question, we have experimentally recreated portions of a poultry house ecosystem allowing the development of the pest over several generations in the presence of a chick and detritivorous mites (Astigmata) that are ubiquitous and abundant in layer farms. In these conditions, we compared the growth of D. gallinae populations in the presence and absence of native predatory arthropods. No effect of native predators on the growth of the D. gallinae population could be detected despite high initial predator-to-prey ratios and satisfactory growth of predator populations. Prey switching to the alternative prey Astigmata likely dilutes the effect of predation on the target prey. Further exploration is needed to see whether action could be taken to enhance the effect of top-down regulation.

Transcriptomic analysis of the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, across all stages of the lifecycle.

BACKGROUND: The blood feeding poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, causes substantial economic damage to the egg laying industry worldwide, and is a serious welfare concern for laying hens and poultry house workers. In this study we have investigated the temporal gene expression across the 6 stages/sexes (egg, larvae, protonymph and deutonymph, adult male and adult female) of this neglected parasite in order to understand the temporal expression associated with development, parasitic lifestyle, reproduction and allergen expression. RESULTS: RNA-seq transcript data for the 6 stages were mapped to the PRM genome creating a publicly available gene expression atlas (on the OrcAE platform in conjunction with the PRM genome). Network analysis and clustering of stage-enriched gene expression in PRM resulted in 17 superclusters with stage-specific or multi-stage expression profiles. The 6 stage specific superclusters were clearly demarked from each other and the adult female supercluster contained the most stage specific transcripts (2725), whilst the protonymph supercluster the fewest (165). Fifteen pairwise comparisons performed between the different stages resulted in a total of 6025 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) (P > 0.99). These data were evaluated alongside a Venn/Euler analysis of the top 100 most abundant genes in each stage. An expanded set of cuticle proteins and enzymes (chitinase and metallocarboxypeptidases) were identified in larvae and underpin cuticle formation and ecdysis to the protonymph stage. Two mucin/peritrophic-A salivary proteins (DEGAL6771g00070, DEGAL6824g00220) were highly expressed in the blood-feeding stages, indicating peritrophic membrane formation during feeding. Reproduction-associated vitellogenins were the most abundant transcripts in adult females whilst, in adult males, an expanded set of serine and cysteine proteinases and an epididymal protein (DEGAL6668g00010) were highly abundant. Assessment of the expression patterns of putative homologues of 32 allergen groups from house dust mites indicated a bias in their expression towards the non-feeding larval stage of PRM. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first evaluation of temporal gene expression across all stages of PRM and has provided insight into developmental, feeding, reproduction and survival strategies employed by this mite. The publicly available PRM resource on OrcAE offers a valuable tool for researchers investigating the biology and novel interventions of this parasite.

Possibilities for IPM Strategies in European Laying Hen Farms for Improved Control of the Poultry Red Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae): Details and State of Affairs.

The Poultry Red Mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, is a major threat to the poultry industry worldwide, causing serious problems to animal health and welfare, and huge economic losses. Controlling PRM infestations is very challenging. Conventionally, D. gallinae is treated with synthetic acaricides, but the particular lifestyle of the mite (most of the time spent off the host) makes the efficacy of acaracide sprays often unsatisfactory, as sprays reach only a small part of the population. Moreover, many acaricides have been unlicensed due to human consumer and safety regulations and mites have become resistant to them. A promising course of action is Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which is sustainable for animals, humans and the environment. It combines eight different steps, in which prevention of introduction and monitoring of the pest are key. Further, it focusses on non-chemical treatments, with chemicals only being used as a last resort. Whereas IPM is already widely applied in horticulture, its application is still in its infancy to control D. gallinae in layer houses. This review presents the currently-available possibilities for control of D. gallinae in layer houses for each of the eight IPM steps, including monitoring techniques, established and emerging non-chemical treatments, and the strategic use of chemicals. As such, it provides a needed baseline for future development of specific IPM strategies, which will allow efficient and sustainable control of D. gallinae in poultry farms.

Evaluating the link between predation and pest control services in the mite world.

Pest regulation by natural enemies has a strong potential to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides in agroecosystems. However, the effective role of predation as an ecosystem service remains largely speculative, especially with minute organisms such as mites.Predatory mites are natural enemies for ectoparasites in livestock farms. We tested for an ecosystem level control of the poultry pest Dermanyssus gallinae by other mites naturally present in manure in poultry farms and investigated differences among farming practices (conventional, free-range, and organic).We used a multiscale approach involving (a) in vitro behavioral predation experiments, (b) arthropod inventories in henhouses with airborne DNA, and (c) a statistical model of covariations in mite abundances comparing farming practices.Behavioral experiments revealed that three mites are prone to feed on D. gallinae. Accordingly, we observed covariations between the pest and these three taxa only, in airborne DNA at the henhouse level, and in mites sampled from manure. In most situations, covariations in abundances were high in magnitude and their sign was positive.Predation on a pest happens naturally in livestock farms due to predatory mites. However, the complex dynamics of mite trophic network prevents the emergence of a consistent assemblage-level signal of predation. Based on these results, we suggest perspectives for mite-based pest control and warn against any possible disruption of ignored services through the application of veterinary drugs or pesticides.

Predation interactions among henhouse-dwelling arthropods, with a focus on the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of the poorly explored food webs of henhouse-dwelling arthropods would improve biological control against the poultry red mite (PRM) Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer). This study aimed to identify trophic links among native predatory arthropods, PRM, and alternative preys. In vitro predation tests were carried out to assess (i) the ability of native predators to feed on PRM juvenile and adult stages in two physiological statuses (unfed and freshly blood-fed) in the absence of any physical barrier, (ii) predator preferences between PRM and astigmatic mites, and (iii) predation interactions between PRM predators. RESULTS: Ten arthropod taxa fed on PRM with predation rates ranging from 4% to 95% in our experimental conditions. They belonged to (i) Acari: Androlaelaps casalis (Berlese), Cheyletus spp., Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli), M. penicilliger (Berlese), Parasitus fimetorum (Berlese), Dendrolaelaps spp. and Uroobovella fimicola (Berlese); (ii) other Arachnida: Lamprochernes nodosus (Schrank) (Pseudoscorpionida) and a linyphiid spider; and (iii) Insecta: Lyctocoris campestris (Fabricius). These predators varied in their preference for PRM stages and physiological statuses (unfed or freshly blood-fed). When given a choice, most predators preferred to feed on PRM than astigmatic mites. Bidirectional predation occurred within two pairs of PRM predators (M. penicilliger-Lamprochernes nodosus and A. casalis-Cheyletus spp.), and M. penicilliger had a 100% predation rate on A. casalis. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the potential of various arthropod predators occurring naturally in poultry houses for conservation and augmentative biological control of PRM. Predation interactions between these predators should be accounted for before developing biocontrol agents against PRM. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Asia and Europe: So Distant So Close? The Case of Lipoptena fortisetosa in Italy.

In Europe, 5 Lipoptena species have been recorded, including Lipoptena fortisetosa. This species, native to Asian countries, was described as a parasite of sika deer and its appearance in Europe dates back to more than 50 years ago. Lipoptena fortisetosa has been recently reported in Italy, sharing its hosts with Lipoptena cervi. A morpho-molecular approach was developed to determine the phylogenetic interrelationship of Italian and Asian CO1 haplotypes sequenced from Lipoptena fly individuals collected in Italy, and their DNA sequences were compared with conspecifics available in GenBank; morphological key-characters (terminalia) of L. fortisetosa were compared with the original description. Two haplotypes were recorded from Italy and assigned to L. cervi and L. fortisetosa, respectively. The latter was part of the monophyletic clade L. fortisetosa, along with 2 Central European and 2 Korean haplotypes (100% identical to one of the Korean haplotypes); moreover, Italian L. fortisetosa female terminalia were consistent with the original description of Asian individuals. Pending more in-depth investigations, this study provides a first answer to the hypothesis of the recent colonization of Italy by L. fortisetosa from Asia as we did not detect any obvious and stable morphological and molecular differences in specimens from the 2 geographical areas. The presence of the sika deer in Europe was retraced and the possible route traveled by the parasite from Asia and the eco-biological factors that may have enhanced its settlement are discussed.

Modulation of feed composition is able to make hens less attractive to the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae.

The poultry red mite (PRM) is an obligatory haematophagous pest that causes substantial economic losses in poultry worldwide. The PRM does not live on the host but in the bird's environment and must find its host remotely. Hence, manipulating chicken odours is of interest. Several crude plant-originating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have already been shown as repellent to Dermanyssus gallinae. We aimed to test whether these VOCs can interfere with PRM host-seeking behaviour by their oral administration to the poultry. The objectives were to determine (1) if hen odours are modified by supplemented feed ingestion and (2) if such treatment makes hens less attractive to the PRM. Chemical characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the hen odour was conducted before and after the hens ingested the supplemented feed. The chromatograms obtained show that hen odour was substantially modified after the hens consumed it. Among the molecules recurrently detected from the supplemented hens, 26% were nearly absent in the unsupplemented hens. Behavioural choice tests to compare the effect of the modified and unmodified-host odours on the PRM show that some of the plant-originating emitted VOCs and the modified whole-hen odours were repellent to the PRM.

Linking morphological and molecular taxonomy for the identification of poultry house, soil, and nest dwelling mites in the Western Palearctic.

Because of its ability to expedite specimen identification and species delineation, the barcode index number (BIN) system presents a powerful tool to characterize hyperdiverse invertebrate groups such as the Acari (mites). However, the congruence between BINs and morphologically recognized species has seen limited testing in this taxon. We therefore apply this method towards the development of a barcode reference library for soil, poultry litter, and nest dwelling mites in the Western Palearctic. Through analysis of over 600 specimens, we provide DNA barcode coverage for 35 described species and 70 molecular taxonomic units (BINs). Nearly 80% of the species were accurately identified through this method, but just 60% perfectly matched (1:1) with BINs. High intraspecific divergences were found in 34% of the species examined and likely reflect cryptic diversity, highlighting the need for revision in these taxa. These findings provide a valuable resource for integrative pest management, but also highlight the importance of integrating morphological and molecular methods for fine-scale taxonomic resolution in poorly-known invertebrate lineages.

"Please listen to me": A cross-sectional study of experiences of seniors and their caregivers making housing decisions.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the decision-making experiences of seniors and informal caregivers facing decisions about seniors' housing decisions when objective decision making measures are used. OBJECTIVES: To report on seniors' and caregivers' experiences of housing decisions. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach supplemented by qualitative data. SETTING: Sixteen health jurisdictions providing home care services, Quebec province, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: Two separate samples of seniors aged ≥ 65 years and informal caregivers of cognitively impaired seniors who had made a decision about housing. MEASUREMENTS: Information on preferred choice and actual choice about housing, role assumed in the decision, decisional conflict and decision regret was obtained through closed-ended questionnaires. Research assistants paraphrased participants' narratives about their decision-making experiences and made other observations in standardized logbooks. RESULTS: Thirty-one seniors (median age: 85.5 years) and 48 caregivers (median age: 65.1 years) were recruited. Both seniors and caregivers preferred that the senior stay at home (64.5% and 71.7% respectively). Staying home was the actual choice for only 32.2% of participating seniors and 36.2% of the seniors cared for by the participating caregivers. Overall, 93% seniors and 71% caregivers reported taking an active or collaborative role in the decision-making process. The median decisional conflict score was 23/100 for seniors and 30/100 for caregivers. The median decision regret score was the same for both (10/100). Qualitative analysis revealed that the housing decision was influenced by factors such as seniors' health and safety concerns and caregivers' burden of care. Some caregivers felt sad and guilty when the decision did not match the senior's preference. CONCLUSION: The actual housing decision made for seniors frequently did not match their preferred housing option. Advanced care planning regarding housing and better decision support are needed for these difficult decisions.

Development of a model forecasting Dermanyssus gallinae's population dynamics for advancing Integrated Pest Management in laying hen facilities.

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is the most significant pest of egg laying hens in many parts of the world. Control of D. gallinae could be greatly improved with advanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for D. gallinae in laying hen facilities. The development of a model forecasting the pests' population dynamics in laying hen facilities without and post-treatment will contribute to this advanced IPM and could consequently improve implementation of IPM by farmers. The current work describes the development and demonstration of a model which can follow and forecast the population dynamics of D. gallinae in laying hen facilities given the variation of the population growth of D. gallinae within and between flocks. This high variation could partly be explained by house temperature, flock age, treatment, and hen house. The total population growth variation within and between flocks, however, was in part explained by temporal variation. For a substantial part this variation was unexplained. A dynamic adaptive model (DAP) was consequently developed, as models of this type are able to handle such temporal variations. The developed DAP model can forecast the population dynamics of D. gallinae, requiring only current flock population monitoring data, temperature data and information of the dates of any D. gallinae treatment. Importantly, the DAP model forecasted treatment effects, while compensating for location and time specific interactions, handling the variability of these parameters. The characteristics of this DAP model, and its compatibility with different mite monitoring methods, represent progression from existing approaches for forecasting D. gallinae that could contribute to advancing improved Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for D. gallinae in laying hen facilities.

Gamasoidosis caused by the special lineage L1 of Dermanyssus gallinae (Acarina: Dermanyssidae): A case of heavy infestation in a public place in Italy.

Among Gamasina (Acari: Mesostigmata) mites, some dermanyssoid species are known to cause gamasoidosis, a human dermatitis characterized by papulosquamous eruptions and urticarian lesions. We describe a case of mite infestation which occurred in public conference halls in Ferrara (Italy), affecting four people who attended the place and showed signs of gamasoidosis. The mites were collected and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy and mitochondrial DNA sequencing (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I partial CDS). Based on morphological and molecular data, the species responsible for the infestation was identified as the special lineage L1 of the poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer) (Acarina: Dermanissydae), a cryptic species known to be associated with pigeons. Rock doves, Columba livia Gmelin (Columbiformes: Columbidae) were roosting on the top of the public building, thus the mites probably gained access to the halls through small window openings. The present case report is the first one providing morpho-molecular identification of a D. gallinae cryptic species responsible of gamasoidosis in Italy.

Detecting pyrethroid resistance in predatory mites inhabiting soil and litter: an in vitro test.

BACKGROUND: While resistance against insecticides is widely known in pest arthropods, it remains poorly known in non-target arthropods of the same agrosystems. This may be of crucial importance in the context of organic pest management or integrated pest management. First, stopping of pesticide pressure during farm conversion may lead to important rearrangements of non-target communities due to fitness cost of resistance in populations of some species. Second, resistant biological agents may be useful to farms with low synthetic pesticide use. Communities of mesostigmatid mites, encompassing numerous predatory species, are supposed to be involved in important ecological processes in both crop soils and animal litter/manure. RESULTS: Here we provide a tarsal contact method for assessing resistance in different populations from various species of mesostigmatid mites. Analyses of data from repeated tests on three populations from different mesostigmatid families proved the method to be robust and able to generate consistent and reliable mortality percentages according to insecticide concentration. CONCLUSION: Our bioassay system allows for both one-shot estimate of pyrethroid sensitivity in mite populations and estimation of how it changes over time, making possible survival analyses and assessment of recovery from knockdown. The rating system retained makes it possible to score response to insecticides in a consistent and standard way in species from different mesostigmatid families. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Implementing shared decision-making in interprofessional home care teams (the IPSDM-SW study): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.

INTRODUCTION: The frail elderly in Canada face a tough decision when they start to lose autonomy: whether to stay at home or move to another location. This study seeks to scale up and evaluate the implementation of shared decision-making (SDM) in interprofessional (IP) home care teams caring for elderly clients or their caregivers facing a decision about staying at home or moving elsewhere. METHODS: A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial involving 8 Health and Social Service Centers (HSSCs) will be conducted with IP home care teams. HSSCs are the unit of randomisation. A decision guide will be passively distributed to all of the participating HSSCs at the beginning of the project. The participating HSSCs will then be randomised to 1 of 4 intervention start times, separated by 7-month intervals. The primary outcome is whether or not clients and caregivers assumed an active role in decision-making, assessed with a modified version of the Control Preferences Scale. The intervention, targeted at IP home care teams, consists of a 1.5 hour online tutorial and a 3.5 hour skills building workshop in IP SDM. Clients will be eligible for outcome assessment if they (1) are aged ≥65; (2) are receiving care from the IP home care team of the enrolled HSSCs; (3) have made a decision about whether to stay at home or move to another location during the recruitment periods; (4) are able to read, understand and write French or English; (5) can give informed consent. If clients are not able to provide informed consent, their primary caregiver will become the eligible participant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics committee review approval has been obtained from the Multicenter Ethics Committee of CISSS-Laval. Results will be disseminated at conferences, on websites of team members and in peer-reviewed and professional journals intended for policymakers and managers. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02592525, Pre-results.