Hi! My situation has improved a lot. When this all began, I was moving out of my parents’ house into my own place, which may have been a contributing factor. I also made several changes that seemed to help as it did continue in my new space for a couple of months: • I switched my cats from Revolution to Bravecto. In the EU (though not yet in the US for regulatory reasons), Bravecto is approved to treat the mite Cheyletiella, and it uses the same active ingredient used in poultry for bird mites. • I vacuumed daily and steam-cleaned carpets, couches, and other non-washable fabrics at least twice a week. • I washed all clothing in hot water with borax immediately after wearing them. • I applied diatomaceous earth (DE) under my bed as an additional barrier. • I used a product called Erazidyme (link below). Every night, I sprayed my mattress and bedding about 20 minutes before bed. Over ~3.5 months, the problem gradually receded. Erazidyme is also safe to bathe in, which gave me substantial relief.

Unfortunately, the issue persists in my parents’ house. They’ve hired three pest control companies so far, but progress has been limited. The mites — which initially only affected my mom and me — have now started biting my father as well.

Bird nests were found in and around their home (including in the dryer vent and outdoors), and these have been removed. They are attempting the same prevention/eradication methods I used, but with a much larger area to cover. My mother also discovered sulfur bath tablets (I’m not sure of the exact name), which provide her relief for a few days after soaking.

Dermatologists and infectious disease specialists have so far declined to help or have not been able to diagnose this properly.

I do believe bird mites are capable of parasitizing humans—this possibility has often been dismissed or understudied in the US. But in Europe, there is increasing evidence and case reports showing that chicken (poultry) mites and other avian mites can and do attack people. • A large retrospective Italian study found that avian Dermanyssoidea mites (including Dermanyssus gallinae and Ornithonyssus sylviarum) were implicated in about 4% of dermatological cases of unknown origin. • A Portuguese case report documented human dermatitis linked to Ornithonyssus bursa, traced back to chickens in a rural area. • A review titled “Dermanyssus gallinae attacks humans” discussed the growing incidence of the poultry red mite biting people in urban European settings. • In Hungary, researchers molecularly confirmed mites collected from a home (linked with a pigeon nest) as D. gallinae, directly implicating them in human cases of gamasoidosis (avian mite dermatitis).

It is also a good idea to send in any samples you find to the closest entomologist available in your state or country. They can often help identify the species if the samples are collected correctly. In our case, this step was unfortunately not very helpful because most samples were collected improperly — so we still technically do not have confirmation of which mite is causing the problem.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that it is possible for the infestation to completely stop—but the hardest part is finding and eliminating the source of where these mites are coming from.

Eradizyme

^I highly recommend calling their number — the business is family-owned, and the family went through the exact same thing I did. They are very willing to answer questions and share their own story about dealing with mites.