Child car seats – a habitat for house dust mites and reservoir for harmful allergens

Clarke, David; Gormally, Michael J.; Sheahan, Jerome; Byrne, Mary

doi:10.5604/12321966.1141362

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…homes in which no type of pet animal or bird was ever present, abbreviated as ‘H’). Some of the homes sampled were those of participants who had taken part in a previous study investigating the presence of dust mites in child car seats and who had given prior consent to participate in this study (Clarke et al , ). Others were selected through chain referral sampling (Heckathorn, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of household pets on the composition and quantity of allergenic mite fauna within Irish homes: a preliminary investigation

Clarke

Dix

Liddy

et al. 2015

Medical Vet Entomology

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Allergenic mites are responsible for inducing hypersensitive reactions in genetically predisposed people worldwide. Mites in dust from 30 Irish homes with pets (dogs, n = 23; cats, n = 7) were compared with those in 30 homes without pets. House dust mites constituted 78% of all mites recorded, with Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) representing 57-72% of mites in furniture and mattresses in both home types compared with only 22% of mites in pet beds. Although storage mites accounted for just 13% of all mites recorded, they represented 46% of mites recorded in pet beds. Median levels of the dust mite allergen Der p 1 (µg/g) in dust samples from mattresses in homes without pets were significantly greater than in mattresses from homes with pets, reflecting the greater densities of D. pteronyssinus found in the former home category. Mite species richness was greater in homes with pets (17 species) than in homes without pets (13 species). This suggests that although the presence of pets can result in a wider variety of epidemiologically important mite species within households, increased competition among mite species may result in a more balanced mite fauna in the home, inhibiting the dominance of any one species and hence lowering allergen-associated risks.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of household pets on the composition and quantity of allergenic mite fauna within Irish homes: a preliminary investigation

Clarke

Dix

Liddy

et al. 2015

Medical Vet Entomology

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How clean is your house? A study of house dust mites, allergens and other contents of dust samples collected from households

Casley

Godec

Logan

et al. 2018

International Journal of Environmental Health Research

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Household dust contains an array of constituents, including house dust mites (HDM) and the HDM allergen, Der p 1, which can cause sensitivities such as asthma and eczema. Vacuuming can help alleviate symptoms, yet little is understood about cleaning behaviour in different households. This pilot study investigated the contents of dust from four household types (students; over 65 s; and families with and without pets). This was then related to cleaning behaviours and perceptions of cleanliness. Our investigation found that HDMs and Der p 1 were present in all households and sampling locations, including participants' cars. The median Der p 1 was greatest in the living room, though results varied. Demographic group was a determinant for the number of human and pet hairs present in dust. Surprisingly, vacuuming was the most disliked task overall. This information requires consideration when developing cleaning products and advising individuals with dust-related health issues.

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Recovery of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Acariformes: Astigmata: Pyroglyphidae) is influenced by vacuuming protocol, fabric type and the viability of dust mites

et al. 2023

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Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart, 1897) (Acariformes: Astigmata: Pyroglyphidae) is amongst the most common house dust mites (HDMs) species in Europe. Vacuuming is commonly employed as a method for the recovery for the subsequent quantification of mite densities. The vacuuming protocols employed and their efficiencies are frequently unreported. In this study, a constant-flow vacuum sampler was used to evaluate the recovery of laboratory-reared D. pteronyssinus from cotton, denim or fleece. Two vacuuming protocols were employed. Protocol 1 (P1) entailed a single unidirectional pass of the vacuum head across the fabrics for 60, 90 or 120 seconds. For Protocol 2 (P2), fabrics were vacuumed twice (laterally followed by diagonally) for the same time periods. Vacuuming was carried out on fabrics seeded with live mites (LM), dead mites (DM), and live mites, which were applied to fabric surfaces for 10 minutes and then euthanized by freezing prior to vacuum sampling (EM). There was a significant difference (P<0.001) in mean HDMs recovery with regard to mite viability (LM, DM, EM), fabric type (cotton, denim, fleece), duration of sampling (60, 90, 120s) and vacuuming protocols employed (P1, P2). The numbers of mites recovered from fleece (compared to cotton and denim) were lower for each treatment type where LM and EM were deployed. Overall, the use of protocol 2 resulted in the greatest mean percentage recovery (>80%) of dust mites for all fabrics combined. Recovery rates were also influenced by entrapment of mites (or active attachment) in the fabric microstructure within the weave. The results have implications for the standardisation of mite recovery from fabrics by means of vacuuming.

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Child car seats – a habitat for house dust mites and reservoir for harmful allergens

Cited by 3 publications

References 16 publications

The influence of household pets on the composition and quantity of allergenic mite fauna within Irish homes: a preliminary investigation

The influence of household pets on the composition and quantity of allergenic mite fauna within Irish homes: a preliminary investigation

How clean is your house? A study of house dust mites, allergens and other contents of dust samples collected from households

Recovery of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Acariformes: Astigmata: Pyroglyphidae) is influenced by vacuuming protocol, fabric type and the viability of dust mites

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