Avian mite dermatitis: an Italian case indicating the establishment and spread of <i>Ornithonyssus bursa</i> (Acari: Gamasida: Macronyssidae) (Berlese, 1888) in Europe

Abstract

Not only does this paper report the first European case of human infestation with O. bursa, it provides evidence that this alien species has settled and spread in the Old Continent. It may have been flown in from a small focus reported in Danish migratory birds in the 1980s or may have been accidentally introduced into Italy through the importation of infested poultry from South America. Such occurrences may have unpredictable epidemiological and ecological consequences. More comprehensive veterinary inspection of imported birds is desirable.