Blood sucking mites identified as cause of skin rashes among Lake Forest students

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - The mystery has been solved.

Blood feeding mites from the Mesostigmata order are the cause of the rashes in dozens of students and staff at Lake Forest Elementary school.

Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control employees collected wood chips from three playgrounds.

They found evidence of 25 mites in one of the samples that came from the playground closest to the The Learning Center.

The wood chips had been added to the playgrounds around the same time the bites and skin irritations began to show up on students.

The recommendation now is to remove all of the wood chips from the play areas.

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