A cohort-based population model for the Poultry Red Mite Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae): Application to explore potential pathways for control strategies using Fluralaner as a case study.

This project addresses the challenge of controlling Dermanyssus gallinae infestations in poultry farms. A cohort-based model is developed that couples the pharmacokinetics of Fluralaner (Exzolt ®) in the plasma of laying hens with the dynamics of the mites, enabling the simulation of various treatment administration strategies while balancing costs. The study reveals that administering a reduced dose of Fluralaner (Exzolt ®) at high frequencies, in conjunction with a customized infestation tolerance threshold for each farm, provides a cost-effective solution for mite control. Specifically, this approach offers significant savings, with up to a 14,15% reduction in treatment costs in a case study involving moderate infestation levels. The findings emphasize that, in many cases, maintaining mite populations below acceptable limits is more economical than complete eradication. This research contributes to advancing poultry farm management practices and optimizing profitability.