Honey bee societies (Apis mellifera), the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, and honey bee viruses that are vectored by the mite, form a complex system of host-parasite interactions. Coevolution by natural selection in this system has been hindered for European honey bee hosts since apicultural practices remove the mite and consequently the selective pressures required for such a process. An...

Mite counts and tests for mite antigen were performed on samples of dust taken from the bedding of 53 children with mite-sensitive asthma. The samples from damp houses and the beds or enuretic children had markedly more mites and mite-antigen than those from dry houses. although the predominant species was usually Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, some of the beds in the damp houses were heavily ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It has been previously reported that the pollutant sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) can activate airway epithelial cells; however, there is as yet no evidence of any direct relationship between house dust mite allergen exposure and Na2SO3 with regards to the pathogenesis of airway allergy. This study investigated the effect of sulfite on mite-stimulated human airway epithelial cel...

BACKGROUND Managed, feral and wild populations of European honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera, are currently facing severe colony losses globally. There is consensus that the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, that switched hosts from the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana to the Western honey bee A. mellifera, is a key factor driving these losses. For >20 years, breeding efforts have not produ...

Recent research on the wheat curl mite species complex has revealed extensive genetic diversity that has distinguished several genetic lineages infesting bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and other cereals worldwide. Turkey is the historical region of wheat and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) domestication and diversification. The close relationship between these grasses and the wheat curl mite pr...

The clinical features of perennial asthmatic children with a skin or bronchial reaction to the house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) were compared with those of asthmatic children without mite sensitivity. Mite sensitive asthma was characterised by an early age of onset of symptoms, these being predominantly nocturnal. A history of wheezing precipitated by dust exposure, during vacuu...

The Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) study is a birth cohort study that investigates the influence of allergen exposure on the development of allergy and asthma in the first several years of life. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between a family history of allergy and/or asthma and exposure of newborn children to mite and pet allergen...

Ectoparasites can be significant pests for the poultry industry. The chicken (or poultry) red mite and the northern fowl mite are the most economically important ectoparasites of poultry globally. These mites can have significant deleterious effects on its fowl host including anaemia, reduced egg production, and egg quality. The chicken mites may also act as a vector for pathogens. Molecular bi...

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic pest of honeybees, and a threat to the survival of the apiculture industry. Several studies have shown that unlike European honeybees, African honeybee populations appear to be minimally affected when attacked by this mite. However, little is known about the underlying drivers contributing to survival of African honeybee populations against the mite. We hyp...

Honeybee disappearance is one of the major environmental and economic challenges this century has to face. The ecto-parasitic mite Varroa destructor represents one of the main causes of the worldwide beehive losses. Although halting mite transmission among beehives is of primary importance to save honeybee colonies from further decline, the natural route used by mites to abandon a collapsing co...