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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393979

Research Project: Systematics of Beetles, Flies, Moths and Wasps with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

Title: Sleeping with the enemy: Case reports of Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese, 1888) (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) causing human dermatitis in Brazil

Author
item BASSINI-SILVA, R. - Butantan Institute
item CASTRO-SANTIAGO, ANA - Universidad De Sao Paulo
item CALCHI, ANA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item PERLES, LIVIA - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item TAKATUS, JULIA - Butantan Institute
item ALENCAR, ISABEL - Universidade Federal Do Espirito Santo (UFES)
item Ochoa, Ronald - Ron
item DOWLING, A. - University Of Arkansas
item WERTHE, K. - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item ANDRE, MARCOS - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item BARROS-BATTESTI, D. - Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
item JACINAVICIUS, F. - Butantan Institute

Submitted to: International Journal of Acarology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/28/2022
Publication Date: 7/12/2022
Citation: Bassini-Silva, R., Castro-Santiago, A.C., Calchi, A.C., Perles, L., Takatus, J.C., Alencar, I.D., Ochoa, R., Dowling, A.P., Werthe, K., Andre, M.R., Barros-Battesti, D.M., Jacinavicius, F.C. 2022. Sleeping with the enemy: Case reports of Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese, 1888) (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) causing human dermatitis in Brazil. International Journal of Acarology. 121(9):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07589-2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07589-2

Interpretive Summary: Mesostigmatid mites are associated with many different enviroments. Some of them are able to attack domestic animals and occasionally affect humans. This paper reports new cases and distribution of the tropical fowl mite in Brazil. This information is usefull for people working with mites, domestic animals & birds, quarantine, agriculture and medicine.

Technical Abstract: Ornithonyssus bursa, known as the "tropical fowl mite," is a hematophagous mite of domestic and wild birds, which occasionally bites humans. Accidental bites on humans occur mainly when abandoned bird nests are close to homes or when people are handling parasitized birds. In the present study we describe five case reports of bites on humans and new records of localities for this species. Based on the material examined, provide morphological and molecular characterizations for this species.