About Sarcoptes scabiei

Sarcoptes scabiei, the itch mite, is a parasitic arthropod that burrows into skin and causes scabies. The mite is cosmopolitan, meaning it can be found in all parts of the world. Humans are not the only mammals that can become infected. Other mammals, such as wild and domesticated dogs and cats as well as ungulates, wild boars, bovids, wombats, koalas, and great apes are affected. The discovery of the itch mite in 1687 marked scabies as the first disease of humans with a known cause. The Italian biologist Diacinto Cestoni showed in the 18th century that scabies is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, variety hominis. The disease produces intense, itchy skin rashes when the impregnated female tunnels into the stratum corneum of the skin and deposits eggs in the burrow. The larvae, which hatch in three to 10 days, move about on the skin, moult into a nymphal stage, and then mature into adult mites. The adult mites live three to four weeks in the host's skin.

(Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.)

Picture credit (Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0): Alan R. Walker

Taxonomy ID 52283

Data source The University of Melbourne, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences

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