A new member of the trombiculid mite family Neotrombicula nagayoi (Acari: Trombiculidae) induces human dermatitis.
We present the first definitive evidence that the mite Neotrombicula nagayoi bites humans under natural conditions in Japan. Initially, bites resulted in mild pruritus without pain. However, skin reactions increased gradually year by year with severe pruritus with pain being reported by the victim after being bitten repeatedly. Six species of trombiculid mites comprising three genera were isolated from soil samples collected from August to October in both 2001 and 2002 at a study site where a man was bitten by N. nagayoi. The dominant species was L. intermedium (72.4%) followed by L. pallidum (8.3%) and N. nagayoi (8.1%). N. nagayoi was found only in August and September. We did not detect the pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi in any of the unfed larvae, including N. nagayoi, collected from the soil samples.
Kawagoe Sogo Senior High School, Kosenba-machi, Kawagoe, Japan. mamoru0917@hotmail.com
Mamoru
M
Takahashi
Hitoko
H
Misumi
Hiroshi
H
Urakami
Teruo
T
Saito
Motohiro
M
Misumi
Isao
I
Matsumoto
Hiroshi
H
Suzuki
D000818:Animals; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications*; D007564:Japan; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008925:Mites; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014323:Trombiculiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014324:Trombiculidae / Q000145:classification*