ORNITHONYSSUS SYLVIARUM (ACARI: GAMASIDA: MACRONYSSIDAE) A CAUSE OF PRURITIC DERMATITIS FOR POULTRY FARM WORKERS IN SOHAG GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

People urban areas have shared environment with pets and animals, mainly birds and rodents.
These animals harbor zoonotic parasites, as mites of the suborder Mesostigmata. The mites
were Dermanyssus gallinae (the poultry red mite) and Ornithonyssus sylviarum & O. bursa,
the primary hosts are Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus. These species of mites may be
harmful to animals, as well as to people working in the shops or potential pet owners. The
study dermatological and parasitological evaluated the workers (n=30) in a poultry farming at
El-Kawther, Sohag Governorate for mite pruritus and to identify mites in the period from July
to October 2019. Detailed history was taken from all workers. Full examination was done.
Workers gave history of exposure to insects bite in the poultry farm where they work. Workers
were advised to collect any insects that can bite them or come in contact with their skin,
which were referred to Parasitology unit, Sohag University, for identification both by light
microscopy and SEM. Examination of all workers revealed that 70% (21/30) of them complained
of itching of variable intensity. Age of participants ranged from 38-41 years all of
them were males. About pruritus, all cases had insidious onset of pruritus, commonly in
summer season (16/21 & 76.19%), especially at night (18/21 & 85.7%), Recurrence of the
symptoms after treatment occurred (11/21 & 52.18%). Patients’ examination showed that skin
lesions were more on the exposed sites forming excoriated papules (71.4%) and urticarial lesions
(28.6%). Insects collected where examined by using light and SE microscope. Arthropods
were identified as O. sylviarum in all cases.
O. sylviarum is a causative agent of human mite dermatitis in Sohag Governorate. The identification
of the cryptic species should be tolerable by amalgamating morphological study with
molecular analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequence.