Northern Fowl Mite Treatment Tested at Penn State Receives FDA Approval

By Katie Bohn

A new way to treat poultry for fowl mites was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July, thanks in part to a team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The treatment, called EXZOLT, can be added to the animals’ drinking water and is used to control northern fowl mites, a blood-feeding parasite that can lead to health problems and lower egg production in chickens and other poultry.

Erika Machtinger, associate professor of entomology and researcher on the project, said the product — which works by targeting the parasite’s nervous system — is novel due to its delivery method.

“Current treatments are all topical, and additionally, mites have developed resistance to many of their active chemicals,” Machtinger said. “This new treatment is a veterinary-prescribed drug that works systemically, so it gets to all parts of the bird.