Woman's skin crawls with mites
2008-06-06 15:21
New York - An American woman has been found by police with her skin crawling with nearly invisible bloodsucking parasites from an infested bird's nest in her home. She's been taken to a hospital quarantine unit.
Police say they were called to the Long Island home of 45-year-old Nina Bradica on Thursday night. They say she was infected with bird mites, a highly contagious condition she contracted from a nest inside a bathroom vent.
Tiny bird mites usually can't be seen without magnification. Symptoms of human infestation include pinprick bites, red bumps, intense itching and a crawling sensation on the skin.
Firefighters and hazardous-materials officers put the woman in a protective suit and took her to the hospital for treatment.
- AP