STICKTIGHT FLEAS ASSOCIATED WITH FOWL POX IN A BACKYARD CHICKEN FLOCKIN CALIFORNIA

A mixed breed rooster, from a backyard flock of 13 chickens, was recei ved at California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System-Turlock Bran ch for postmortem examination. The bird presented with thickened, feat herless, scab-encrusted skin around the head region. Numerous sticktig ht fleas were found attached to the encrusted skin. Microscopic evalua tion of the skin revealed a lymphoplasmacytic reaction in the dermis w ith visible embedded flea mouthparts. Also noted histologically in thi s region were epidermal hyperplasia and ballooned epidermal cells cont aining intracytoplasmic inclusions indicative of fowl poxvirus.