Epidemic parasitic gamasid mites (Mesostigmata: Gamasina) and foci of dermatitis caused by them in Moscow

The tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti (Hirst, 1913) (Macronyssidae) and the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778) (Dermanyssidae) are the main species of parasitic bloodsucking gamasid mites capable of using humans as hosts in urban areas. The peculiarities of occurrence of foci of acute human dermatitis caused by parasitic gamasid mites in 1991-1998 and in 2010-2020 studied comparatively in Moscow. The occurrence of mites in the premises varied in different years, reaching minimum values in the last decade. The results of this study indirectly show a relatively prosperous situation in the city, due to socio-economic factors, in particular, improved population control of synanthropic rodents. For the first time we present data on a case of dermatitis in Moscow caused by the gamasid mite Androlaelaps casalis (Berlese, 1887) (Laelapidae).

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