Timeline: Advances in Scientific Understanding of the Effects of D. gallinae on Humans
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Questions about D. gallinae and humans |
Pre-1958 Understanding |
1958 Study |
1959-2009 Understanding |
2009-2010: State of the Art Knowledge |
Questions for Continued Research |
| Can red poultry mites bite humans and then reproduce? | The red poultry mite is species specific. In particular, it does not bite humans. | Human blood cells found in the guts of mites collected from an infested bedroom, showing that mites do feed on humans | D. gallinae ingests human blood but cannot reproduce based on feeding on human blood. | D. gallinae can “easily infest” a number of farm animals and humans (Sparagano book). There is now enough evidence to show that D. gallinae can reproduce after ingesting human blood (Sparagano, personal communication) | |
| Are some people bitten more than others? | Although D. gallinae attacks certain chickens more than others, it attacks all humans at the same rate. Differences in symptoms are caused by different levels of allergic reaction. | There are differences in attack rates on humans, which may be caused by differences in human pheromones (Sparagano, personal communication) | As pheromone levels increase at adolescence, are human children more likely to become infested? | ||
| Can D. gallinae pass diseases to people? | D. gallinae carries few if any organisms that cause disease in humans | D. gallinae is a vector of a number of serious human diseases, including encephalitis and spirochetes. The role of D. gallinae as a vector of human disease has been undervalued. | |||
| How should infested homes be treated? | — | — | D. gallinae is readily eliminated with pesticides such as pyrethrins. | D. gallinae is developing resistance to all pesticides currently in use to control it (Sparagano book). | What is an optimal home treatment protocol? |
| What treatments should people receive who are repeatedly bitten when their homes are infested? | — | — | When chickens are infested, treat the coop and the chickens. When humans are infested, treat the home environment only. | Some essential oils can be effective (eucalyptus, lavender, thyme) (Sparagano book and personal communication). Application of talc can be effective. (Sparagano, personal communication). Garlic kills 100% of D. gallinae (Sparagano book) | What is an optimal human treatment protocol? |
| Do the professionals we consult have up-to-date information? | As of July 2009, our local 4H was still telling members that “chicken mites don’t bite people.” | When our house became infested in 2009, various professionals provided this outdated information. | What is the best way to keep physicians and vector control updated? |
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