MITES OF PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE AND THEIR CONTROL TRAINING GUIDE - INSECT CONTROL SERIES Harry D. Pratt U. S. D E P A R T M E N T OF H E A L T H , EDU CA TIO N , A N D W E L F A R E PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE Communicable Disease Center Atlanta, Georgia Names of commercial mataiifacturers and trade names are provided as example only, and their inclusion does not imply endorsement by the Public Health Service or the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; nor does the ex­ clusion of other commercial manufacturers and trade names imply nonendorsement by the Service or Department. The following titles in the Insect Control Series, Public Health Service Publication No.772, have been published. A ll are on sale at the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D .C., at the prices shown: Part I: Introduction to Arthropods of Public Health Importance, 30 cents Part II: Insecticides for the Control of Insects of Public Health Importance, 30 cents Part III: Insecticidal Equipment for the Control of Insects of Public Health Importance, 25 cents Part IV: Sanitation in the Control of Insects and Rodents of Public Health Importance, 35 cents Part V: Flies of Public Health Importance and Their Control, 30 cents Part VII: Fleas of Public Health Importance and Their Control, 30 cents Part VIII: Lice of Public Health Importance and Their Control, 20 cents Part X: Ticks of Public Health Importance and Their Control, 30 cents These additional parts will appear at intervals: Part VI: Mosquitoes of Public Health Importance and Their Control Part XI: Scorpions, Spiders and Other Arthropods of Minor Public Health Importance and Their Control Part XII: Household and Stored-Food Insects of Public Health Importance and Their Control Public Health Service Publication No.772 Insect Control Series: Part IX May 1963 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1963 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D.C. Price 25 cents CONTENTS IN T R O D U C T IO N ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 P U B L IC HEALTH IM PORTANCE OF MITES ....................................................................................................................... 1 Scabies and related mange-like d is e a s e s ........................................................................................................................... ...1 Chiggers, scrub typhus, and hemorrhagic fever...................................................................................................................2 The house mouse mite and rickettsial-pox .................................................................... .................................................. ...3 Other diseases transmitted by blood-sucking m ite s ..........................................................................................................3 Common sources of bird, bat, and rodent ectoparasites annoying to man ............................................................ ..4 D e rm a titis....................................................................................................................................................................................... ...5 Invasion of b uildings and annoyance .................................................................................................................................. ...6 Mite infestation of internal organs ......................................................-.............................................................................. ...6 M ites as intermediate hosts of tapew orm s........................................................................................... ............................. ...6 MITE C H A R A C T E R IST IC S AND SYSTEM ATIC POSITION .............................................................................................. 7 Order: Acarina .............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Suborders — Mesostigmata, 7; Ixodides, 7; Trombidiformes, 7; Sarcoptiformes,7 Mite a n a to m y ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Diagram of mite ............................................... ............................................................................................................................ 9 Mite id e n tific a tio n ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Illustrated key to some common species of female acarina (mites)......................................................................... 11 P ictorial key to female mites commonly found on dom estic rats in southern U.S............................................... 18 SOME IM PORTANT MITE SPE C IE S ......................................................................................................................................... 19 The house mite, 19; The chicken mite, 19; The tropical rat mite, 19; The tropical fowl mite, 19; The northern fowl mite, 19; The spiny rat mite, 19; Chiggers, 19; The straw itch mite, 20; The follicle mite, 20; The clover mite, 20; The grain and flour mites, 20; Some common mites, 21; The itch mites, 23 CO N T RO L OF MITES AND MITE-BORNE DISEASES ........................................................................................................23 Chemical control of m ite s......................................................................................................................................................... 23 Control of mites by s a nitatio n ................................................................................................................................................ 25 MITE SURVEYS ................................................................................................................................................. !............................. 26 R E F E R E N C E S ................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 0 0 1 0 4 0 5 5 Although mites belong to the Class Arachnida, and are not true insects, they are important vectors of some of the most signifi­ cant arthropod-borne diseases and have been studied intensively by entomologists and public health workers. For this reason this Training Guide on mites has been included in the Insect Control Series. INTRODUCTION Most species of mites are so small that they are such as encephalitis by certain bird mites; barely visible to the naked eye. The adults and (2) rickettsial diseases, such as scrub typhus nymphs usually have four pairs of legs, but the by chiggers in the Pacific area of the Old first stage, or larva, has only three pairs. Many World, rickettsialpox by the house mouse mite species lay eggs, but some others retain the eggs and possibly murine typhus by the tropical within the abdomen and give birth either to six­ rat mite; (3) bacterial diseases, such as legged larvae or eight-legged nymphs or adults. tularemia by the tropical rat mite in the lab­ The life cycle is often short, two to three weeks, oratory or epidemic hemorrhagic septicemia so the mites increase in numbers very quickly under by the snake mite, and (4) filarial disease of favorable conditions. In dwellings they often infest the cotton rat by the tropical rat mite. foods, stuffed furniture, and mattresses, occurring literally by the thousands or millions. Some of the Dermatitis, caused primarily by direct at­ largest infestations in buildings result from the in­ tack of chiggers in the family Trombiculidae, vasions of clover mites, or of bird or rodent mites, bird and rat mites in the family Dermanyssidae, from out-of-doors. A number of mites discussed in straw itch mites in the family Pyemotidae, this chapter are potential carriers of disease^, af­ and by contact with cheese mites in the fecting man or his domestic animals, while others families Acaridae and Glycyphagidae. may cause dermatitis and allergic reactions in men. Annoyance and invasion of buildings, with­ Mites are important to man because they are out causing dermatitis or transmitting any associated with: disease-causing agent, by the clover mite. Scabies or mange-like conditions, produced Infestation of the lungs, intestine, or primarily by mange or itch mites in the fami­ urinary passages, as the lung mites or certain lies Sarcoptidae, Psoroptidae, and Demodi- cheese mites. cidae. Tapeworm infestations of domestic animals, Transmission of disease-causing organisms, as some beetle mites serve as intermediate primarily of four groups: (1) viral diseases, hosts for certain tapeworms. PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE OF MITES SCABIES AND RELATED MANGE-LIKE Army officially reported 32,871 cases in a total DISEASES strength of about 3,700,000men in Europe andUnited States between April 1,1917 and December 31, 1919 — Scabies is one of the most important'disease almost 1 percent of the total military strength with conditions caused by mites. Scabies, which is also attack rates varying between 3 and 35 per 1000 per known