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Why dermanyssosis should be listed as an occupational hazard
  1. M A Cafiero1,
  2. D Galante1,
  3. A Camarda2,
  4. A Giangaspero3,
  5. O Sparagano4
  1. 1Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
  2. 2Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Italy
  3. 3Dipartimento PrIME, Università di Foggia, Foggia, Italy
  4. 4Northumbria University, School of Life Sciences, Ellison Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
  1. Correspondence to Maria Assunta Cafiero, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20-71100 Foggia, Italy; ma.cafiero{at}

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The red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Acarina: Mesostigmata), is a temporary blood-sucking ectoparasite of poultry and other avian species, with a worldwide distribution. It can occasionally bite mammals, including humans, and cause dermatitis. Medical textbooks frequently cite itching and cutaneous lesions resulting from red-mite bites as a normal occurrence in subjects working in close conjunction with poultry. In fact, D. gallinae is one of the most common pests and a major cause of economic loss in the poultry industry, with a farm prevalence of up to 90%.1 In the literature, red-mite dermatitis (RMD) is generally regarded as an urban hygiene issue. Not only …

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