Woman Infected With Bird Mites Quarantined

Forget arachnophobia, how about an increasing fear of bird mite infestation? Bird mites really don't seem pleasant, if you don't believe, just ask Nina Bradica, a 45-year-old woman from Levittown, New York who was recently quarantined after becoming infested with highly contagious bird mites.

Bird mites aren't your normal parasite. Unlike ticks, they don't just burrow in your skin and stay put until you find them. No, bird mites live on you, around you and even in you, crawling all over your skin and multiplying by the thousands.  It's like a swarm of microscopic biting and bloodsucking insects attacking you at all hours of the day. The worst part is, that they jump from host to host quickly.

Bradica was taken from her home Thursday night, decked out in a hazardous materials suit. The haz-mat suit was used to prevent the creatures from infecting the officers, firefighters and EMTs placing her in the ambulance.

Doctors held a news conference Friday morning to assess the situation. "This is not a public health threat," said Dr. Ken Steier, dean of academic affairs at the hospital. "These mites are very ubiquitous."

The mites are more a nuisance than anything. They don't cause serious injury or death, but do multiply quickly and infest every crack, corner and crevice of a home, as well as people or animals inhabiting the dwelling.

Authorities believe the mites spread form a wild bird's nest in a bathroom vent inside Bradica's home.

Bradica rented the house, and says she's had problems with her landlord. In fact, her landlord had evicted her that same day, after she failed to pay her rent for months. What a horrible day. First she's evicted, then she's quarantined for bird mites.

But Bradica says she didn't pay because of problems she's had at the home. "I didn’t pay the rent because why should I pay for living in misery?" Bradica told Newsday. "It cost me enough money to pay for pesticides."

She is expected to be discharged within 48 hours. Afterwards she plans to stay at a hotel, then with her sister.

Image Source FLPestPro.com