Rodent fur mites

Test code: X0031 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of mouse and rat fur mites (Myobia, Myocoptes, and Radfordia spp.) by real time PCR.

Mites and ticks are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari (also known as Acarina), in class Arachnida. Both mites and ticks pass through four stages of development: egg to larva to nymph to adult. All stages have eight legs except the six-legged larva.

Some mites parasitize animals, including man; others are scavengers. Some mites feed on plants, and many prey on insects and other arthropods. In fact, there are nearly as many different types of mites as there are insects. Rodent and bird mites may bite people when they jump onto people. Three types of rodent mites readily bite humans: the house mouse mite (Liponyssoides saguineus), spiny rat mite (Laelaps echidnina) and tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti).

The house mouse mite has a worldwide distribution but is more common in the northeastern United States. The house mouse mite normally sucks the blood of mice, but will also bite rats and people, often causing a rash around the bite. These mites prefer warm places where rodents live. The spiny rat mite feeds on rats at night and hides by day in cracks and crevices around rat nests and resting places. The spiny rat mite is the most common mite occurring on Norway rats and roof rats in the U.S. It is not a known vector of pathogens. The tropical rat mite is not truly tropical, nor does it feed exclusively on rats. This mite can live for up to 10 days off its host and is capable of traveling great distances to find new food sources. The tropical rat mite’s bite is painful and causes skin irritation and itching in humans

Mice in vivariums may be infested with fur mites of species Myobia musculi, Myocoptes musculinus, and Radfordia affinis. The prevalence of fur mite infections can be as high as 40% in mouse colonies. Although Myocoptes is the most commonly diagnosed fur mite in captive mice, Myobia infection appears to be the most significant infection because it is more likely to induce a hypersensitivity reaction in the host, leading to more severe irritation and skin disease

Diagnosis of mite infection can be achieved by microscopic examination of collected samples. However, molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is increasingly being used to detect the presence of mites in fur swab samples (Karlsson et al., 2014).

Utilities:

• Help confirm the disease causing agent
• Shorten the time required to confirm a clinical diagnosis of rodent fur mites.
• Help ensure that vivariums are free of fur mites
• Early prevention of spread of fur mites among animals
• Minimize personnel exposure to fur mites

References:
Karlsson, E.M., Pearson, L.M., Kuzma, K.M and Burkholder, T.H. (2014) Combined evaluation of commonly used techniques, including PCR, for diagnosis of mouse fur mites. J. Am. Assoc. Lab. Anim. Sci. 53:69-73.

Specimen requirements: Fur swab or environmental surface swab.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction

Normal range: Nondetected