title: Pet hamsters as a source of rat mite dermatitis.
abstract: Rat mite dermatitis is characterized by pruritic papules in a patient exposed to the tropical rat mite Ornithonyssus bacoti. We report a case of a woman with rat mite dermatitis who developed this eruption after exposure to her pet hamster. Mites were collected from the hamster and identified as O bacoti. Reported sources of rat mites, as well as avian mites and other mites that bite humans, are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: National Capital Consortium Dermatology Residency Program, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA. naomi.creel@na.amedd.army.mil
authors.forename: Naomi B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Creel
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Mullen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D006224:Cricetinae; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*