Has anyone had trouble with mites and their gerbils? And if so what did you do about it? Here is an article i found:
Gerbils can harbor mites that cause itchy rash
NEW YORK, (Reuters Health) - Pet gerbils can become infested with mites that bite humans and cause severe itching and red bumps on the skin, researchers report.
Their study is the first to pinpoint gerbils as a source of "northern fowl mites" and "chicken mites," which cause a rash known as avian mite dermatitis that has been traced to contact with chickens, pigeons and other types of birds.
"We believe that these mites may be occurring often on gerbils but are not usually recognized as a cause of skin disease," explain Dr. Anne W. Lucky, from The Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and colleagues.
They recommend that doctors ask patients with "mysterious bites" whether they own or have been in contact with gerbils. The mites that cause the rash can avoid detection because they do not burrow in skin but rather, feast on the blood of the host and move on. Further, the chicken mite tends to feed only at night.
"If a suspected pet is not found to be infested, careful examination of the cage and bedding and the animal at night may be helpful in making the diagnosis," the researchers say in the February issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
Removing the source of the mite cured two patients described in the article. The first, an 11-year-old boy, was taken to the doctor with a rash all over his body that did not respond to antibiotics. Eventually, mites living in the cage of a friend's pet gerbils were found to be the culprit.
Gerbils were also found to be the source of a mite infestation that caused a 10-year-old girl to develop a rash on her arms, legs and trunk. The girl had volunteered to take care of gerbils that lived in a science classroom at school, over spring break. Other children who had been in contact with a group of chickens kept in the same classroom were also found to be infested with the mites.
SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology 2001;137:167-170.
� 2001 Reuters
