Well, for sure, demodex isn't "new". Demodex mites are the cause of the relatively rare, but dreaded Demodectic Mange in dogs. I say "dreaded" because even with all the modern anti parasitics and pesticides, demodectic mange can still end up being a death sentence in a dog.
Reading up on it after your post, it appears that veterinary science has now decided that most dogs have some demodex mites in/on their skin (and some articles seem to imply that this is true of humans as well!), but that an immune system deficiency or suppression causes it to "break" into an active case.
I've only seen Demodectic mange once, in my rescue Border Collie, when he was an adolescent... around 9 months old. He had been severely malnourished when we found him, had recovered, gained weight, and seemed to be in the bloom of health. But NOTHING worked on the demodex on him- his head was completely bald and had thick, oozing scabs and cracks... really ugly and looked terribly uncomfortable. We finally used ivermectin as a last resort- "last" because it's known to be toxic to many dogs with collie genetics. Fortunately, he didn't react to the ivermectin, and it completely cured the mange.
Mange mites- both sarcops and demodex- can survive on inanimate surfaces for quite some time, although I'm not sure exactly how long. I can see that clothing items from less hygenic areas of the world could be contaminted with the mites... but unless a person has a problem with their immune system or is on immunosuppressive drugs, it shouldn't be a problem. Of course- so many people ARE on drugs for various maladies these day such as steroids for asthma and other more- and-more common illnesses and conditions.
Somehow we have to get back to healthier lives, because the law of unintended consequences is getting harsher all the time.
Summerthyme
