Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Woman Physically Infested With Bird Mites
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jun 7, 2008
Modified Jun 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jun 7, 2008
Modified Jun 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A Long Island woman was removed from her home wearing a HAZMAT suit Thursday, after it was determined that not only was her home infested with bird mites, but the woman herself had them crawling out of her orifices. The mites originated from a birds nest that was found in the bathroom vent at Nina Bradica's Levittown home. They soon appeared in force all over the bathroom and Bradica came into contact with them while drying herself with a towel after bathing.
Soon, Bradica was suffering from painful red welts as the bird mites migrated in and out of her ears, nostrils, mouth, and other places. While the mites cannot survive long on humans and eventually drop off, their bites feel like pinpricks, and being infested with tiny blood-sucking arachnids is enough to scare the hell out of anyone.
Bird mites naturally live off of the secretions of birds and are reportedly ubiquitous, but Bradica is being held in quarantine just out of precaution that she now may be infected with a communicable disease.
Tagged
bird mites
blood sucking
hazmat
infestation
Levittown
Dave Hogarty
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
The NYPD arrested a mom and took her kids' Christmas gifts. She never got them back.
A new lawsuit accuses the NYPD of making it hard for New Yorkers to reclaim seized belongings.
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
Retired NYPD detective charged with murder in George Washington Bridge shooting
Police say a Rockland County man was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident on Tuesday night.
By
Charles Lane
News
Retired NYPD detective charged with murder in George Washington Bridge shooting
Police say a Rockland County man was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident on Tuesday night.
By
Charles Lane
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYC adult daycare operators charged with committing over $500K in Medicaid fraud
By
Caroline Lewis
Port Authority eyes $117M fix to Manhattan roadway where falling debris smashed cars
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .