Can ear mites be transferred to humans?

Our question this week was:

Can ear mites be transferred to humans?

Gord MacDonald

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You asked if ear mites could be transmitted to humans. The answer is yes and no. It is possible for ear mites to live on a person for a short period of time but won’t survive. They are generally not considered transmissible.

I actually had a professor in veterinary school (a parasitologist) that admitted to actually putting ear mites in his ears to see what would happen (I don’t recommend this). Nothing happened. Every time I think of him – I think of that story.

An article that might be helpful to you is Ear Mites in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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