Imagine your pests being attacked by other pests! According to a case study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine by physicians in Marseille, a couple in France suffered a rare sickness that was “almost forgotten” after the beetles that were feasting on their furniture got their own swarm of toxin-toting mites. That’s quite shocking!
The bites of the mite Pyemotes ventricosus, aka the European straw itch mite, are notorious for leaving behind some intriguing comet-shaped rashes because of the toxins they carry. In point of fact, many refer to it as the “comet sign.” The man in question, for example, did not display the comet sign, but when it does exist, it is a solid bet that the skin disease is Pyemotes dermatitis. This is because the comet sign is only present in some cases.
Three days after acquiring a rash that was very itchy all over their abdominal regions, the man and woman, both of whom were 30 years old, presented themselves to an infectious disease clinic. The reason could not have been discovered at all if the woman’s rash hadn’t displayed a telling pattern: the irritating pink spots on her lower body had center spots with pink tails, definitely resembling a comet. And here’s something amazing: without this pattern, the cause might not have been found!
The positive aspect of the story is that despite the fact that the mite stings are nasty and irritating, they are uncommon and are not believed to carry infectious illnesses. However, depending on the severity of the mite infestation, the skin disease will often clear up on its own; however, in rare cases, it may be accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, headaches, and chills.
The infected furniture of the couple was thrown out, and they were given antihistamines and topical glucocorticoids as a treatment for their condition. After eight days, the itching lesions on their skin had cleared up.
