Rodent mite dermatitis

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Rodent mite dermatitis
Other namesRat mite dermatitis
Specialty Dermatology

Rodent mite dermatitis (also known as rat mite dermatitis) is an often unrecognized ectoparasitosis occurring after human contact with haematophagous mesostigmatid mites that infest rodents, such as house mice, [1] rats [2] and hamsters. [3] The condition is associated with the tropical rat mite ( Ornithonyssus bacoti ), spiny rat mite (Laelaps echidnina) and house mouse mite ( Liponyssoides sanguineus ) [4] which opportunistically feed on humans. Rodent mites are capable of surviving for long periods without feeding and travelling long distances when seeking hosts. [4] Cases have been reported in homes, libraries, [5] hospitals [6] and care homes. [7] A similar condition, known as gamasoidosis, is caused by avian mites. [8]

Contents

Symptoms and signs

Rodent mite bites leave multiple groups or individual small itchy papules (around 1–2 mm in diameter) [7] on the skin (papular urticaria). [9] [10] These are found mostly "on the upper extremities, neck, upper trunk and face". [7]

Diagnosis

Diagnosis requires species identification of the parasite, which will be likely to be found in the environment of its host rather than on the host's skin. [10] Rodent mites are very small, for O. bacoti "female mites reach a size between 0.75 and 1.40 mm, males are a little smaller". [7]

Treatment

The original rodent host of the mites must be located and eradicated, [11] and their nests removed. [12] Steps should also be taken to prevent future infestations, such as by blocking the rodents means of entry into the building. The patient's environment should then be treated, [10] using both non-residual and residual insecticides, mites crawling in the open can be removed by vacuuming or with a cloth moistened with alcohol. [12]

Bites can be treated with antihistamines and corticosteroids, to relieve the associated itching and allergic reactions. [7]

Epidemiology

L. sanguineus has been implicated in the spread of Rickettsialpox. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rat</span> Several genera of rodents

Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus Rattus. Other rat genera include Neotoma, Bandicota and Dipodomys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermatitis</span> Inflammation of the skin

Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can vary from small to covering the entire body. Dermatitis is often called eczema, and the difference between those terms is not standardized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mite</span> Small eight-legged arthropod

Mites are small arachnids. Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as each other's closest relative within Arachnida, rendering the group non-monophyletic. Most mites are tiny, less than 1 mm (0.04 in) in length, and have a simple, unsegmented body plan. The small size of most species makes them easily overlooked; some species live in water, many live in soil as decomposers, others live on plants, sometimes creating galls, while others are predators or parasites. This last type includes the commercially destructive Varroa parasite of honey bees, as well as scabies mites of humans. Most species are harmless to humans, but a few are associated with allergies or may transmit diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nummular dermatitis</span> Medical condition

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atopy</span> Predisposition towards allergy

Atopy is the tendency to produce an exaggerated immunoglobulin E (IgE) immune response to otherwise harmless substances in the environment. Allergic diseases are clinical manifestations of such inappropriate, atopic responses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyshidrosis</span> Human disease

Dyshidrosis is a type of dermatitis that is characterized by itchy blisters on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet. Blisters are generally one to two millimeters in size and heal over three weeks. However, they often recur. Redness is not usually present. Repeated attacks may result in fissures and skin thickening.

Acariasis is an infestation with mites.

<i>Andes orthohantavirus</i> Species of virus

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<i>Malassezia furfur</i> Species of fungus

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

Dermanyssus gallinae is a haematophagous ectoparasite of poultry. It has been implicated as a vector of several major pathogenic diseases. Despite its common names, it has a wide range of hosts including several species of wild birds and mammals, including humans. In both size and appearance, it resembles the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum.

Rickettsia typhi is a small, aerobic, obligate intracellular, rod shaped gram negative bacterium. It belongs to the typhus group of the Rickettsia genus, along with R. prowazekii. R. typhi has an uncertain history, as it may have long gone shadowed by epidemic typhus. This bacterium is recognized as a biocontainment level 2/3 organism. R. typhi is a flea-borne disease that is best known to be the causative agent for the disease murine typhus, which is an endemic typhus in humans that is distributed worldwide. As with all rickettsial organisms, R. typhi is a zoonotic agent that causes the disease murine typhus, displaying non-specific mild symptoms of fevers, headaches, pains and rashes. There are two cycles of R. typhi transmission from animal reservoirs containing R. typhi to humans: a classic rat-flea-rat cycle that is most well studied and common, and a secondary periodomestic cycle that could involve cats, dogs, opossums, sheep, and their fleas.

<i>Leishmania tropica</i> Species of protozoan parasite

Leishmania tropica is a flagellate parasite and the cause of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans. This parasite is restricted to Afro-Eurasia and is a common cause of infection in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Morocco, and northern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamasoidosis</span> Medical condition

Gamasoidosis, or dermanyssosis, is a frequently unrecognized ectoparasitosis and source of growing concern in human medicine, occurring after contact with avian mites which infest canaries, sparrows, starlings, pigeons and poultry and caused by two genera of mites, Ornithonyssus and Dermanyssus. Avian mite species implicated include the red mite, tropical fowl mite and northern fowl mite . Mite dermatitis is also associated with rodents infested with the tropical rat mite, spiny rat mite and house-mouse mite, where the condition is known as rodent mite dermatitis. Urban gamasoidosis is associated with window-sills, ventilation and air-conditioning intakes, roofs and eaves, which serve as shelters for nesting birds. Humans bitten by these mites experience a non-specific dermatitis with intense itching.

<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.

Liponyssoides sanguineus is a species of mite that infests the house mouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Androlaelaps casalis</span> Species of mite

Androlaelaps casalis formerly known as Haemolaelaps casalis is a species of predatory mite that feeds on other mites and small invertebrates. It cannot bite or sting birds and humans because its mandibles are not designed for sucking but for predation on other mites. Because Androlaelaps casalis mites feed off parasitic mites like Dermanyssus gallinae, individuals with red colored abdomens can be found. This is not due to any blood-sucking by A. casalis but is because it has ingested blood-engorged parasitic mites. There is some evidence that it may be associated with dermatitis in humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mites of domestic animals</span> Type of parasite of domestic animals

Mites that infest and parasitize domestic animals cause disease and loss of production. Mites are small invertebrates, most of which are free living but some are parasitic. Mites are similar to ticks and both comprise the order Acari in the phylum Arthropoda. Mites are highly varied and their classification is complex; a simple grouping is used in this introductory article. Vernacular terms to describe diseases caused by mites include scab, mange, and scabies. Mites and ticks have substantially different biology from, and are classed separately from, insects. Mites of domestic animals cause important types of skin disease, and some mites infest other organs. Diagnosis of mite infestations can be difficult because of the small size of most mites, but understanding how mites are adapted to feed within the structure of the skin is useful.

Maskne is a portmanteau of "mask" and "acne". The term appeared in use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to refer to acne and other rashes of the face that occur in association with mask wearing. The findings are observational only and related to pressure, occlusion and friction. It is likely that several are perioral dermatitis, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, folliculitis, irritant contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis, and acne mechanica. In one article, maskne is observed to be caused by increase of humidity in the occluded area and sebum being secreted, increasing the amount of squalene on the skin. This, along with excess sweating lead to the swelling of epidermal keratinocytes, causing acute obstruction and acne aggravation. The hot and humid environment in which maskne is induced is also apparent with tropical acne. The best treatment for maskne is to avoid wearing a mask.

References

  1. ↑ Reeves, Will K.; Cobb, Kristin D. (2005-07-01). "Ectoparasites of House Mice (Mus musculus) from Pet Stores in South Carolina, U.S.A". Comparative Parasitology. 72 (2): 193–195. doi:10.1654/4178. ISSN   1525-2647. S2CID   85650971.
  2. ↑ Engel, Peter M.; Welzel, J.; Maass, M.; Schramm, U.; Wolff, H. H. (1998). "Tropical Rat Mite Dermatitis: Case Report and Review". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 27 (6): 1465–1469. doi: 10.1086/515016 . ISSN   1058-4838. PMID   9868661.
  3. ↑ Creel, Naomi B.; Crowe, Mark A.; Mullen, Gary R. (2003). "Pet hamsters as a source of rat mite dermatitis". Cutis. 71 (6): 457–461. ISSN   0011-4162. PMID   12839256.
  4. 1 2 Watson, J. (2008-01-01). "New Building, Old Parasite: Mesostigmatid Mites--An Ever-Present Threat to Barrier Rodent Facilities". ILAR Journal. 49 (3): 303–309. doi: 10.1093/ilar.49.3.303 . ISSN   1084-2020. PMC   7108606 . PMID   18506063.
  5. ↑ Chung, Sang Lip; Hwang, Sung Joo; Kwon, Soon Baek; Kim, Do Won; Jun, Jae Bok; Cho, Baik Kee (1998). "Outbreak of rat mite dermatitis in medical students". International Journal of Dermatology. 37 (8): 591–594. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00558.x. ISSN   0011-9059. PMID   9732004. S2CID   34760181.
  6. ↑ Haggard, Carl N. (1955-03-01). "Rat Mite Dermatitis in Children". Pediatrics. 15 (3): 322–324. doi:10.1542/peds.15.3.322. ISSN   0031-4005. PMID   14356805. S2CID   32691957.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Baumstark, J.; Beck, W.; Hofmann, H. (2007). "Outbreak of Tropical Rat Mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) Dermatitis in a Home for Disabled Persons" (PDF). Dermatology. 215 (1): 66–68. doi:10.1159/000102037. ISSN   1018-8665. PMID   17587843. S2CID   3124223.
  8. ↑ Kowalska, M.; Kupis, B. (1976). "Gamasoidosis (gamasidiosis)-not infrequent skin reactions, frequently unrecognized". Polish Medical Sciences and History Bulletin. 15–16 (4): 391–394. ISSN   0301-0236. PMID   826895.
  9. ↑ Engel, P. M.; Welzel, J.; Maass, M.; Schramm, U.; Wolff, H. H. (1998). "Tropical rat mite dermatitis: case report and review". Clinical Infectious Diseases. 27 (6): 1465–1469. doi: 10.1086/515016 . ISSN   1058-4838. PMID   9868661.
  10. 1 2 3 Beck, W. (2007-11-01). "Tropical Rat Mites as newly emerging disease pathogens in rodents and man". Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 5 (6): 403. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2007.09.016. ISSN   1477-8939.
  11. ↑ Fox, James G. (1982-09-01). "Outbreak of Tropical Rat Mite Dermatitis in Laboratory Personnel". Archives of Dermatology. 118 (9): 676–8. doi:10.1001/archderm.1982.01650210056019. ISSN   0003-987X. PMID   7114872.
  12. 1 2 "Parasitic Mites of Humans | Entomology". entomology.ca.uky.edu. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
  13. ↑ Azad, A. F.; Beard, C. B. (1998). "Rickettsial pathogens and their arthropod vectors". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 4 (2): 179–186. doi:10.3201/eid0402.980205. PMC   2640117 . PMID   9621188.
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