Paula,
 
>for 5 months through 4 doctors' visits, and none knew what it was.  I
>finally demanded a skin scrape, and it was mites.  The dermatologist said
>that even with a microscope, it is impossible to distinguish canine mites
>from scabies, so she didn't know which kind of mites I had.  I know that
>scabies is incredibly contagious and my boyfriend, with whom I live, never
>itched at all.  WHich is why I think that I had canine mites, which CAN
>attack humans, but prefer animals.  (No, we don't have a dog or a cat).
 
First of all, the term "canine mites" is a really bad term.  If your
dermatologist used this term for scabies, then he is doing you a real
disservice.
 
"Scabies" is a term that we use for infection with a mite called "Sarcoptes
scabiei".  Yes, it's true that both dogs and mites get S.  scabei, and
people can get it , too, causeing a very itchy rash.  But there are MANY
types of other mites that all of these animals can get, which rarely cause
problems.
 
Most all species, including man, have mites on there body.  Unless they
markedly increase in nuber, they don't cause any problem.  Remember that
mites are everywhere, living in our pillows, mattresses, even on dust mites.
(People are often allergic to dust - it's not the dust, really, but the
mites that live on the dust that cause the allergy).
 
The most common type of dog mite is a mite called Demodex canis, not
Sarcoptes scabei.  A severe overpopulation of this mite is called mange in
dogs.  An overpopulation of S. scabei is known by the term red mange, and is
far less common.
 
Now let's look at ferrets.  In ferrets, the most common cause of mite
infections is ear mites, Otodectes cynotis.  This is completely different
than S. scabei, and isn't transmitted to humans.  Humans don't get ear
mites.   S. scabei is a problem in Australia, but I have never seen a case
in the U.S.  In Australia, S. scabei infection in ferrets (true "scabies")
causes a severe itchiness of the feet, and ferrets may go so far as to chew
their toes off, it gets so bad.
 
I have seen a few cases of Demodex mites in ferrets in the U.S., but these
are only in immunosuppressed ferrets (usually with distemper).
 
In short, if you do have scabies, it didn't come from your ferrets.
>Is there a way to test the ferrets for canine mites?  They don't have any
>symptoms that dogs with mites experience, nor do they have mites in their
>ears.  Any advice is much appreciated.
 
Then let's look elsewhere than in your ferrets.  In my experience (no
offense intended to any dermatologists on the FML) I have found the derm
docs are quick to blame the family pet for any allergy or skin problem that
the family humans may have.  In this case, I think your ferrets are
blameless.....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
Dept. of Veterinary Pathology               [log in to unmask]
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1689]