Acariasis (mites)

Question 1

Family Atopomelidae:

Chirodiscoides caviae

Answer 1

the guinea pig fur mite

Question 2

Animal hosts for Family Cheyletiellidae

• Cheyletiella yasguri,*
• C. blakei*
• C. parasitovorax*

Answer 2

Cheyletiella yasguri, C. blakei and C. parasitovorax are the most prevalent species on domesticated animals, and usually affect dogs, cats and rabbits.

Cheyletiella spp. are not host specific, and can be transmitted to humans. However, they do not appear to reproduce on human skin; thus, human infestations are self-limiting.

Question 3

Animal hosts for Family Dermanyssidae

• Dermanyssus gallinae*
• D. americanus*
• D. hirundinis*
• Liponyssoides sanguineus*

Answer 3

• Mites in this family primarily parasitize rodents and birds; low host specificity
• Dermanyssus gallinae: chicken mite, red mite, roost mite, poultry mite; is a parasite of birds that can cause dermatitis in people.
• D. americanus (American bird mite) and D. hirundinis have been reported to affect humans, but cases are uncommon.
• Liponyssoides sanguineus, a parasite of small rodents, is also zoonotic.

Question 4

Animal hosts affected by Family Listrophoridae

• Lepoacarus gibbus*
• Lynxacarus radovskyi*

Answer 4

The Listrophoridae mainly infest rodents, but
Lepoacarus gibbus can cause mange in domesticated rabbits, and Lynxacarus radovskyi affects domesticated and wild cats

Question 5

Animal hosts affected by Family Macronyssidae

• Ornithonyssus bacoti*
• Orn. bursa*
• Orn. sylviarum*
• Ophionyssus natricis*
• Chiroptonyssus robustipes*

Answer 5

• Mites in this family feed on birds, mammals and reptiles. Low host specificity. zoonotic:
• Ornithonyssus bacoti (the tropical rat mite), which affects rodents and small marsupials;
• Orn. bursa (tropical fowl mite) and Orn. sylviarum (Northern fowl mite), which normally feed on birds.
• Ophionyssus natricis: snake mite
• Chiroptonyssus robustipes, a mite that normally infests bats.

Question 6

Animal hosts affected by Family Psoroptidae

• Psoroptes ovis.*
• Chorioptes bovis* and C. texanus
• Otodectes cynotis*

Answer 6

Mites in the family Psoroptidae affect domesticated
animals, but are rarely transmitted to people.

• Psoroptes ovis causes Psoroptic mange (P. ovis, P. equi, P. cervinus, P. cuniculi and P. natalensis) are members of a single species (P. ovis)
• Chorioptes bovis and C. texanus: cause chorioptic
  mange (‘barn itch’) in many species of ungulates
• Otodectes cynotis: ear mite. domesticated
  and wild carnivores. Rare, self-limiting human infestations with this organism have been reported.

Question 7

Animal hosts affected by Family Sarcoptidae

• Sarcoptes scabiei*
• Notoedres cati*
• Notoedres muris, N. musculi* and N. pseudomuris .
• Trixacarus caviae*

Answer 7

Several mites among the Sarcoptidae are important in
domesticated animals, wild animals or people.

• Sarcoptes scabiei* causes sarcoptic mange (scabies) in humans and more than 100 additional species of mammals and marsupials. More than 15 varieties of this organism have been described. They include S. scabiei var hominis in people; S. scabiei var. canis, S. scabiei var suis, S. scabiei var. equi, S. scabiei var bovis, S. scabiei var ovis, S. scabiei var caprae and Sarcoptes scabiei var aucheniae in domesticated animals; Sarcoptes scabiei var vulpes and Sarcoptes scabiei var wombati in exotic animals or wildlife.
• Notoedres cati* causes notoedric mange (“feline scabies”) in domesticated and wild cats.
• Notoedres muris, N. musculi and N. pseudomuris* can infest laboratory rodents.
• Trixacarus caviae* mainly affects guinea pigs.