To the Editor.—
We read with interest the article in the April Archives (116:435-437, 1980) by Cohen in which he described what he believed to be the first reported instance of human Cheyletiella dermatitis in the eastern United States. Two similar cases have previously been reported.1As veterinary dermatologists, we frequently examine animals suffering from Cheyletiella infestation, and it is not unusual, especially when the animals are heavily infested, for the owners to exhibit a pruritic, papular dermatitis on their forearms, chest, and waist.After the diagnosis of Cheyletiella dermatitis is confirmed in their pets, the owners are advised that their presumptive infestation should be transient in nature but that they should consult a dermatologist. On one occasion, a client, who already was under a dermatologist's care, reported our findings to her physician only to be told that the Cheyletiella mite, a parasite unknown to the physician, could not