An outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium phage type 135a in a child care centre.

This is a report of a case of bird mite infestation which occurred in Wollongong in mid-December1996.The individual suffered hundreds of bites, most of which were marked by itchy red papules3–4 mm in diameter. Tiny mobile parasites (< 1 mm) collected from the skin and adjacentbedroom wall were identified as bird mites from the family Gamasidae, most probably from thegenus Ornithonyssus.The source of the infestation was a starling nest under the eaves adjacentto the bedroom.The report summarises the ways bird mite bites can be distinguished from otherinsect and arachnid bites. If bird mite infestation is not correctly diagnosed, families who attemptto repeatedly treat it as if it were lice or scabies may incur considerable expense until the sourceof infestation is eliminated. Commun Dis Intell 2003;27:259–261.