Ornithonyssus bursa

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Ornithonyssus bursa
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Subclass: Acari
Order: Mesostigmata
Family: Macronyssidae
Genus: Ornithonyssus
Species:
O. bursa
Binomial name
Ornithonyssus bursa
(Berlese, 1888)

Ornithonyssus bursa (also known as the tropical fowl mite) is a species of mite. [1] [2] [3] It is most often a parasite of birds, but also has been found to bite humans and two species of mammals. [4] It usually lives in birds' feathers, but for laying its eggs, it more often uses their nests rather than their feathers. Tropical fowl mites undergo five stages during their development: egg, larva, protonymph, deutonymph, and adult. During the last two stages, they suck blood from their host for food. They are often diurnal, whereas northern fowl mites are nocturnal in nature. [5]

Contents

Synonyms

Ornithonyssus bursa has been described under the following synonyms, which are no longer used: [5]

Description

Ornithonyssus bursa has four pairs of legs, three of which are located on the sternal plate. Towards its posterior end, its body narrows slightly. These two features distinguish it from another member of the genus, Ornithonyssus sylviarum , whose posterior end narrows considerably and which possesses only two pairs of legs on its sternal plate. [4]

Effects on humans

Ornithonyssus bursa can move from birds' nests into human homes. [4] It also infests domestic fowl and can spread to humans handling fowl. Its bites cause small, irritating skin lesions and in some people, intense skin inflammation. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<i>Dermanyssus gallinae</i> Species of mite

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<i>Ornithonyssus</i> Genus of mite

Ornithonyssus is a mite genus of the family Macronyssidae.

<i>Ornithonyssus bacoti</i> Species of mite

Ornithonyssus bacoti is a hematophagous parasite. It feeds on blood and serum from many hosts. O. bacoti can be found and cause disease on rats and wild rodents most commonly, but also small mammals and humans when other hosts are scarce. Outbreaks tend to occur in older, less maintained buildings. The mite, however, can travel several hundred feet on its own if necessary to find a host and can survive for extended periods of time without a host. This, along with the nonspecific dermatitis it causes, can prevent accurate and fast diagnosis of rat mite dermatitis. The scarcity of reports, due in part to misdiagnosis and also the mildness of its symptoms, makes the disease seem less common than it is. The tropical rat mite can be found in both temperate and tropical regions or rather all continents except the Arctic and Antarctic.

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<i>Brevipalpus phoenicis</i> Species of mite

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<i>Kiwialges haastii</i> Feather mite from the great spotted kiwi

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References

  1. Denmark, H. A., & Cromroy, H. L. (2012). Tropical Fowl Mite, Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese)(Arachnida: Acari: Macronyssidae). University of Florida. Fact Sheet EENY-297.
  2. Ewen JG, Thorogood R, Brekke P, Cassey P, Karadas F, Armstrong DP (August 2009). "Maternally invested carotenoids compensate costly ectoparasitism in the hihi". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106 (31): 12798–802. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0902575106 . PMC   2722293 . PMID   19620733.
  3. Mascarenhas CS, Coimbra MA, Müller G, Brum JG (Oct–Dec 2009). "Occurrence of Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese, 1888) (Acari: Macronyssidae) on Megascops choliba (tropical screech-owl) and Pitangus sulphuratus (great kiskadee) nestlings in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil]". Rev Bras Parasitol Vet. (in Portuguese). 18 (4): 69–70. doi:10.4322/rbpv.01804013. PMID   20040213.
  4. 1 2 3 Denmark, H. A.; Comroy, H. L. (2012). Gillett-Kaufman, J. L. (ed.). "Tropical fowl mite". Featured creatures. University of Florida. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Shapiro, Leo (2012). "Ornithonyssus bursa. Tropical fowl mite". Encyclopedia of life. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2015.