Chickadees nested in a protected area adjacent to her air conditioner outside the window of her Brigantine apartment. It was pretty cool getting a close-up view of chickadees raising their brood.

But when the fledglings took flight and the chickadees abandoned the nest, the bird mites that thrived by biting the birds suddenly went looking for a new blood meal.

The nearest animal was the young woman.

The mites had no problem crawling through the tiniest cracks around the window casing, since including legs and head they’re no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence, and their bodies are smaller still.

Bird mites are not very common, but when they do appear, this is a likely reason why.

The solution is to identify the problem (you can use tape to pick up bird mite samples on a window ledge, for example).  And then get a pest management professional to treat it.

Now, another suspected itch mite outbreak: according to 1490 WBEX, the Ross County Health District is also warning residents of Chillicothe and Ross County of the possible presence of pyemotes.

Although not dangerous, bites from the itch mites can cause individual sores and even a rash.

Outbreaks have occurred in Kansas and Nebraska, along with one just last year in Chicago.  In Cincinnati and Hamilton County a number of “possible” cases have been reported in recent days. Locally, the health district has received a few calls from residents with questions concerning bites and rashes.

“We can’t be certain that it is the itch mites, but it’s certainly possible,” said Rami Yoakum, director of communications at the health district. “The bites are not dangerous, but they do itch and if they are scratched they can become infected.”

More from Ross County Health’s website.

Tiny parasites forced one of Erie County’s largest nursing homes to repeatedly disinfect its Alzheimer’s unit and treat many of its residents.

Fifteen residents of the Gallagher Center of Saint Mary’s Home East, 607 E. 26th St., developed what physicians believe was scabies, a contagious skin infection caused by skin mites. An unknown number of staff and patients’ family members also developed the condition.

“We never found the organism on any patient, but based on their symptoms, we believe it was scabies,” said Dorothy Candib, M.D., Saint Mary’s Home medical director.

The first case was reported in the spring, though most cases were reported in June and July, Candib said. The original patient was treated by a dermatologist, but other cases followed.

The first case was identified after family members came down with scabies following a visit to their relative in the hospital:

Carla Slomski and several members of her family developed scabies after visiting their father, Thomas Piotrowicz, who was a resident in the Gallagher unit until his death April 30.

Apparently the problem is cleared up now. According to the article, no one currently has scabies in this unit.

You can read the article here.

Five confirmed and two probable cases have been diagnosed in the Foyer du Bonheur at 125 Lionel-Emond Blvd. in the Hull sector. All of the cases are on the same floor.

The facility had a scabies outbreak a year ago.

You can read more about scabies mites here.
Or read the Ottawa SUN article here.

Avian Mite Bites Acquired From a New Source—Pet Gerbils

Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature

Anne W. Lucky, MD; C. Paul Sayers, MD; J. David Argus, DVM; Andrea Lucky, BA

Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:167-170.

ABSTRACT

Background Cutaneous manifestations of avian mite bites are not well recognized by physicians or patients. Clinical signs and symptoms are usually caused by bites from avian mites that have infested domestic poultry or birds nesting in or near human habitation. This report details 2 cases of pruritic papules acquired from avian mites that had infested pet gerbils and reviews the dermatologic literature about avian mites.

Observations An 11-year-old boy and an unrelated 10-year-old girl each had mysterious, pruritic papules for many months before their pet gerbils were found to be infested with Ornithonyssus sylviarum (the northern fowl mite) and Dermanyssus gallinae (the chicken mite), respectively. Symptoms resolved when the gerbils were removed from the home.

Conclusions Because infestation of pet gerbils with avian mites has never been reported, cases of avian mite bites and dermatitis may have gone unrecognized or misdiagnosed. Inquiry about ownership of pet gerbils may be helpful in patients with mysterious bites.

You can read the whole article here at the Archives of Dermatology.

Remember, if you think something’s biting you, go and see a doctor and rule out scabies, body lice, and other conditions the doctor can treat. If you may have bird mites, rat mites, or another infestation, seek the advice of a good pest management professional. You cannot get rid of this on your own.

The site is still under development, but for now, look at the useful resources page to get you started.

If you think you are being bitten by something, get a pest control professional (exterminator) in right away to inspect.