Echidnophaga gallinacea is beginning to Threaten Wild Avian Hosts

            Echidnophaga gallinace, a generalist ectoparasite commonly known as the sticktight flea, was observed on a wild avian scrub-jay species, Aphelocoma coerulescens.  E. gallinacea are a common pest of poultry but are rarely seen on any free-living avian species.  Normally, E. gallinacea can cause ulcerations on any soft body parts and cause deadly infections from subcutaneously laying eggs on their hosts.  E. gallinaceas can live on their host for up to 19 days and use their host to supply them a blood meal.  While living on a host, E. gallinaceas lay their eggs, and eventually fall off onto soil ground.  Larvae develop in the soil for several weeks until they mature into adulthood.  Once larvae reach adulthood, a blood meal is necessary for them to reproduce.  The fleas search for a suitable host in areas of domesticated poultry. The effect E. gallinacea has on wild species is still largely unexplored.  However, a group of Florida avian species, A.coerulescens, has recently been reported as hosts for E. gallinacea. 

            In south central Florida, a study found that when scrub jays were sampled before the breeding season, 73% were infested with Echidnophaga gallinacea sticktight fleas with infestation numbers ranging from 1-57.  After four months, 46% of the sticktight flea-infested jays had died.  This number was relatively high compared to a death rate of only 5.9% for the non-infested jays.  E. gallinaceas infested scrub jays also showed signs of lower body mass, low hematocrit levels and high leukocyte counts when compared to non-infested scrub jays. Sticktight fleas are detrimental to Florida scrub-jays in terms of health and survival.  These ectoparasites can have profound effects on the survival of free-living avian species.  If this parasite is capable of having dire effects for one avian host like Aphelocoma coerulescens than it may have the ability to show its negative impacts on a plethora of other avian wildlife species. 

_{Boughton, R. K., J. W. Atwell, and S. J. Schoech. "An Introduced Generalist Parasite, The Sticktight Flea and Its Pathology in the Threatened Florida Scrub-Jay." Journal of Parasitology 92.5 (2006): 941-48.}