The prevalence of Demodex mites in eyelash follicles in Lithuania

Abstract

Introduction. Demodex spp. is a genus of tiny parasitic mites that live in or near mammalian hair follicles. Only two species of Demodex mites are found in humans: Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis (also called eyelash, face, or skin mites) (Lacey et al., 2009; Rather & Hassan 2014; García et al., 2019; Huang et al., 2021). Demodex spp. infection usually remains asymptomatic and can only be pathogenic to humans when there is a high Demodex mites density. Another reason - imbalance of the immune system (Lacey et al., 2009). Although Demodex mites have been implicated as a cause of many human skin disorders, their pathogenic role has long been debated. Currently, these mites are classified as parasitic organisms (Huangn et al., 2021). Research aim. To determine the prevalence of Demodex mites in eyelash follicles in Lithuania. Methodology. The study included patients with suspected Demodex spp. infection. During the study, 62 mites were collected from 15 different patients who complained of eye surface diseases (eye redness, eye itching). Morphological identification of collected Demodex mites was carried out using morphological keys Results. The most common mite among patients complaining of eye surface diseases was D. folliculorum. In all samples were found D. folliculiorum and in one patient was found D. folliculiorum and D. brevis. Conclusion. The Demodex spp. play a primary role in eye surface diseases such as blepharitis. The previous study showed that infection with Demodex mites and their prevalence among humans is common. During this study, mites were analyzed in patients who complained of eye surface diseases ( eye redness, eye itching). Microscopy revealed D. folliculiorum mite species in all eyelash samples and both mite species in only one sample. The extensive researches on the Demodex mites allow for assessing the risk of various diseases to human health