Itchy mites will irritate until first big frost, experts say

Bug health experts can tell you all you want about itch mites; it still won't change the cold, uncomfortable truth:

These irritating little parasites are here to stay -- at least until the area's first cold snap.

"This may be something we have to deal with until the first big frost," said Kitty Loewy, spokeswoman for Cook County Department of Public Health.

That's not much consolation for suburbanites suffering from itchy, quarter-sized bite marks. The welts, which are not contagious, are said to itch more than either mosquito bites or chicken pox.

But just as with those other skin irritants, the afflicted are not supposed to scratch.

"This is certainly one of the itchier rashes people are getting," said Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. "But we tell people, 'Try not to scratch so you don't cause a secondary infection.' "

The bites, experts say, do not pose a serious health risk and there have been no deaths linked to the mites. The symptoms, which can last up to 14 days, can be treated with calamine lotion and over-the-counter antihistamines.

A Naperville drug store, however, currently offers a remedy it describes as a sure-fire antidote against itching. Martin Avenue Pharmacy has compounded Red Bug Revenge -- its own special anti-itch lotion -- for years to combat mosquito bites.

Now customers are finding it works well against itch mites bites, too.

"It works great against any type of bug bites," pharmacy general manager Matthew Marks said. "We're getting tremendous feedback from people with itch mite bites."

The drug store does not sell the lotion without a prescription, but pharmacists will call the doctor's office directly for any customers who come in seeking the remedy.

While the bitten seek relief, state health officials also are trying to confirm the itch mite's culpability in the regional outbreak. Though experts believe the oak leaf gall itch mite is the likely culprit, they're still awaiting positive identification.

Entomologists already have determined the genus -- Pyemotes -- but they're still investigating the exact species. There are more than 45,000 different mite species and definitive identification is determined by counting hairs on the microscopic pests.

"An analogy would be that we know it's a dog, now we're trying to figure out what kind of dog it is," Arnold said.

Samples have been sent to the University of Nebraska, where faculty entomologists identified a similar outbreak in the Plains states three years ago. It's unknown when the results will be returned.

Most itch mites live in pin or oak trees, but health officials say spraying vegetation to prevent bites is ineffective. To ward off bites, they recommend wearing bug repellent with DEET and heavy sunscreen lotions.

For more information on mite bites, go to www.idph.state.il.us.