Etiology of Delusory Parasitosis?

DELUSORY parasitosis is a presumed psychiatric condition ascribed to individuals who are convinced, in the absence of any empirical evidence, that they are infected with an insect or parasite. The symptoms are debilitating and the sufferer’s distress is compounded by the lack of a concrete physical diagnosis. It turns out, however, that patients may actually be right in their assessment of what is troubling them.

A case control study conducted by the National Pediculosis Association and the Oklahoma Department of Health found that the arthropod Collembola or springtails were a common factor in patients originally diagnosed with delusory parasitosis (J New York Entomol Soc 112:87, 2004). The research team did stress that it was possible the springtails found in skin lesions were opportunistic and that fungi or allergens may contribute or be responsible for the patients’ symptoms.

Springtails are abundant in wastewater and contaminated environments with high humidity and abundant organic debris.

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