Posted 3/26/2009 7:16 PM (GMT -8)
Hello Dorit!
You continue to amaze me with the articles and information you provide. I read your article and was horrified to think that there may be a link to bb infection. I must admit that mites are one of my least favorite subjects - terribly allergic to them and I spend a lot of time trying to keep the house clean and allergies under control. My dryer gets a lot of use trying to kill anything that might still be alive after washing.
Having said all that, I HAD to look up what a HARVEST MITE looks like and here is wikepedia's explanation of harvest mites (also known as Chiggers in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_mite
Here is another very simple article explaining different mites: http://www.the-piedpiper.co.uk/th5i.htm
Three more comments:
It seems that harvest mites can carry rickettsial diseases in some parts of the world. And I was already a little paranoid about bugs, ticks, and spiders. It is upsetting because I really prefer quite natural forested settings over concrete.
It feels like we are in a war of humans against all vectors. If fleas, flies, chiggers, mites, and who knows what else carry the risk of some type of infection...then it is going to be difficult to avoid exposure.
Can someone tell me how to create a link on url within a post? It sure would make things easier.
Greetings to you Dorit!
Beth