Any transmission from Mites?

Hello,
It has been some time since I visited this forum (formerly as Gladioli66). I cannot recall, but can Lyme or it's coinfections be transmitted from cats to humans via mites. I know tics and fleas are possible, but not sure about mites. I had an incident recently with a perspective pet adoption and have what I think are mite bites all over the backs of hands and wrists. These are not similar to flea or tic bites at all. I am only tooooo familiar with what those look like. I suppose it could be an allergic reaction to this particular cat as well. I have worked very hard to get rid of my Bart infection and believe I have it licked. I am starting to panic which is never a good thing and need to figure out what is going on! Please don't judge me for having a cat. I can rarely leave the house and they are my constant companions. If not for them I would have succumbed to depression long ago. They are treated with prophylactics for fleas and tics and we have had them treated with Doxycycline once or twice just as a precaution. I would appreciate anyone's advice without judgement. Thanks

Post Edited (Gladioli) : 2/3/2020 8:55:01 AM (GMT-7)

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
With regard to the "rash". There are numerous raised tiny bumps all over backs of hands and wrists, but much worse on dominant hand which did most of the petting. Those bumps making their way up my forearm on the dominant side. The bumps start to dwindle as they move up the arm. The area was slightly swollen and itched like crazy. This is all after washing my hands and wrists immediately after the petting session. That's what made me think of mites instead of allergic dermatitis. No bullseye rash, or papules. The bleeding bumps are from the scratching. The only thing that relieved the itching was washing and washing and washing with diswashing liquid. I don't know what to think. We sent an e-mail to the vet and I am sure she will get back to us after office hours today. She is very accommodating and understanding. As you suggest, it could also be a medication the kitty is on transmitted to me via saliva/coat transfer.

I am not pleased to hear about the possibility of mites be a vector of transmission, but I appreciate the info. and thanks again for responding.

saraeli said...
Lots of us have cats, Gladioli. And most people with cats aren't sick! Definitely no judgment.

Studies have shown transmission of Lyme by multiple species of mites, fleas, and mosquitoes, in addition to ticks. Not sure about co-infections, except that Bartonella can be spread by fleas. What do the bites look like - any rashes or other oddness?

So sorry you are worried. You could be having a reaction to a drug the cat was treated with, a plant the cat rubbed up against, or other things as well. Seems less likely to be bites if they're all on the backs of your hands, and bilateral, right?

My husband sent an e-mail to our vet today. We should hear back from her by evening. I tried taking a cell pic at your suggestion, but did not come out well. It was a good thought. I hope the vet can figure out what is going on. She is awesome. I cannot say the same for many of the people docs in my life.

k07 said...
Could you ask a vet? Maybe even send them a pic?

I am a lover of cats too.

I wonder if there is some type of binder that helps with pesticide exposure? If i find something will let you know.

Also, antihistamines may help.

Do you have MCAS? The various MCAS remedies might help you.

Revolution is extremely toxic, even for those who are not allergic to it or sensitive to chemicals. (Sometimes there's a need for it with pets, unfortunately, but I'm just saying you're not alone!)

So interesting how it can vary by individual cat! Glad it's nothing more sinister, but sorry that this cat cannot be a good match for you.

Hi Gladioli. I also have 2 cats & love them, dearly! They only go outdoors for brief periods during warmer weather. They HATE the Frontline Plus. Only use it during summer months & successfully, split one tube between the 2 of them. Neither, have gotten fleas or ticks, yet. These chemicals are toxic so, could it be allergic reaction as others have asked? If you use unrefined coconut oil on these areas, it could be helpful. Wish we could share pics on this site. I've had rashes on both hands/wrists since 1st week of Dec. It also looked like insect bites at 1st. but the 'bites' were in small clusters. They had a brown dot in the center. Nothing unusual sparked mine. Trying to drink more water & also using the remedies that you've mentioned. Difficult to know how to care for something when you're not sure of what it is. Hope your hands are looking better this morning. Wish we could see what they look like! Here's an article from Cornell University, you may find helpful.
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/zoonotic-disease-what-can-i-catch-my-cat

Thanks Girlie and BlackTara for the info and support. The kitty that caused all the troubles was one we were considering adopting from the vet's office. The vet has to treat all the cats there so as not to have infestations running rampant through the hospital. We treat our kitties here at home with something called Program which is an injection once every 6 months. It is not a pesticide, but a hormone that prevents fleas and tics from reproducing on your pet. Our cats don't go outside here, but since my husband is involved with caring for large colonies of feral cats in urban areas, we never know what he may bring home on his clothing even when careful.
I am still trying to figure out what exactly caused this reaction because I have never reacted this badly to any pet, dog or cat, before. My wrist is still covered with rash and swollen. My husband will be speaking with the vet in person today and asking more questions about what meds the cat was on if any, etc. My husband can handle the cat in question without any troubles at all, so unlikely a parasite, but what. Likely you can see I am very frustrated by this incident. Thanks again for your support.

Thanks for this link. I am glad to hear the product works well and is non-toxic, a plus for someone like me that has MCS. I will have to give it a try.

Deejavu said...
Hi Gladioli,

Long time since I posted. Anyway, last spring I used beneficial nematodes (people warned me not to but after doing research I liked what I read not to mention I am a risk taker). The company I bought them from is:

https://biologicco.com/product/ecomask-spray/

My cat is an indoor cat and I was the one bringing fleas inside the house. After spraying my property outside with the ecomask I didn't get one flea. This is one amazing product. I did re-apply it in August to to make sure it would still work which it did. No chemicals, nothing. I wore gloves and protected myself when I applied this product.

Just to let you know what worked for me,
Denise