Ear Mites in Children

Ear mites are mites that live in the ears of animals and often affect household pets such as cats, guinea pigs, ferrets and, less frequently, dogs. The most commonly seen species is the Otodectes cynotis. It is rare, but possible, for children to become infected.

Features

• Ear mites are most common in pet cats.

  Ear mites spread extremely quickly and can be transferred between animals from the briefest of physical contact. Ear mites are the most common type of ear infection in cats. They do not burrow in the way that most types of mite do; they remain within the ear canal. Their inflammatory symptoms are similar to those of bacterial and yeast infections.

Consequences

• A child with ear mites may feel unwell due to the rash and itching.

  Animals infected with ear mites have red, itchy, inflamed ears. If they go untreated, or are particularly severe, skin disease can occur in areas of the animal's body besides the ear, such as the neck or the tail. Deafness is one of the most extreme consequences. A child infected with ear mites would develop an itchy skin rash, and possibly have a congested, muffled sound in their ears.

Treatment

• If you think your child has ear mites it is best to take her to the doctor.

  To treat ear mites in your pets, first remove all debris (crumbly dark brown material in which tiny white mites are living) from the infected ear then apply an antiparasitic medication. If you have more than one infected pet, ivermectin can be administered either orally or by injection. For cats, an effective treatment is selamectin, which is applied to the skin and is effective for one month. If your child is infected, the rash normally clears up on its own within a few weeks, but it is advisable to seek medical advice.

Prevention/Solution

• Keep your pet away from your child to reduce the risk of infection.

  As soon as you suspect that your household pet has ear mites, it is best to keep your children away from the animal until it has been treated to eliminate the small risk that they will become infected.

Misconceptions

• If a child is close to a heavily infected cat they are at risk of infection.

  Many people mistakenly believe that humans cannot become infected with ear mites, which are a zoonotice disease, meaning they can be transferred to humans. Because children are so affectionate with their pets, they are more at risk of infection than adults. Most reports of ear mite infestation in humans have occurred after very close contact with a heavily infected pet cat.