n. a genus of widely distributed mites – the harvest mites. The six-legged parasitic larvae (chiggers) are common in fields during the autumn and frequently attack humans, remaining attached to the skin for several days while feeding on the lymph and digested skin tissues. Their bite causes intense irritation and a severe dermatitis. Various repellents, e.g. benzyl benzoate, can be applied to clothing. Trombicula larvae transmit scrub typhus in southeast Asia.
n. a free-living or parasitic arthropod belonging to a group (Acarina) that also includes the *ticks. Most mites are small, averaging 1 mm or less in length. A mite has no antennae or wings, and its body is not divided into a distinct head, thorax, and abdomen. Medically important mites include the many species causing dermatitis (e.g. Dermatophagoides) and the harvest mite (see Trombicula), which transmits scrub typhus.... mite
(tsutsugamushi disease) a disease, widely distributed in SE Asia, caused by the parasitic bacterium Rickettsia tsutsugamushi and transmitted to humans through the bite of mites. Only larval mites of the genus *Trombicula are involved as vectors. Symptoms include headache, chills, high temperature (104°F), a red rash over most of the body, a cough, and delirium. A small ulcer forms at the site of the bite. Scrub typhus is treated with tetracycline and other broad-spectrum antibiotics. See also rickettsiae; typhus.... scrub typhus
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