TROMBIDIOSIS-INDUCED DERMATITIS IN WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS-VIRGINIANUS)

During a routine blood collection at a wildlife management checkpoint, several white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area, Habersham County, Georgia, were observed to have accumulations of orange granular material around the eyes and mou th accompanied by serous exudate, crusting, and alopecia. Microscopic examination of the granular material disclosed numerous larval mites o f the family Trombiculidae. Histologic examination revealed severe chr onic diffuse plasmacytic dermatitis with intralesional larval trombicu lid mites. Several stylostomes were also identified in the tissue sect ions. This paper describes the gross and histologic changes associated with severe trombiculid infestation in a white-tailed deer and sugges ts potential causes for this unusual finding.