by Deodoro Oliveira This essay considers the  hypothesis  that microscopic mites (Arachnida: Acari) inhabiting the skin of vertebrates can function as vectors for the transmission of viruses. (i) Parasitic mites are prevalent in mammals, birds, and other vertebrates. (ii) Mites show certain host-species specificity, nevertheless, occasional cross infestations may provide a route for viruses to jump from one species to another. (iii) These diverse body dwelling critters – such as the skin burrowing itch mites causing scabies – can quickly spread in a host population. (iv) The presence of minuscule virus-infected mites in objects and dust resolves the current notion that some common viral diseases are airborne or propagated by fomites. Taken together, these considerations could help the understanding of some zoonotic viral diseases outbreaks, including the current 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic. In the second half of the XVII century – a time when the theories of mia...