Dust Mites

A method combining dust mite filtration and natural dust mite control using essential oils has been proposed with a view to reducing asthma allergens in household air. Research papers related to asthma triggers, dust mite physiology and habitats, High-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) air-purifiers and chemical and natural control measures have been studied before proposing the solution. The combined methods individually prove effective against house dust mite control, ensuring the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid system.

House dust mites have been shown to be important sources of indoor allergens associated with asthma and other allergic conditions. Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide, and numerous scientific studies have shown that the prevalence of asthma is increasing. The most common dust mite species around the world include Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), Dermatophagoides farinae (Df), Euroglyphus maynei (Em) and Blomia tropicalis (Bt). Over the past three decades, many important allergens from these species have been identified and characterized at the molecular level. The biological function of several house dust mite allergens has been elucidated, with many of them showing enzymatic activity. However, Bt allergens remain the least studied, even though this mite is very common in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, including Puerto Rico. Therefore, it is very important to include Bt in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for house dust mite induced allergy and asthma, particularly in areas where Bt exposure and sensitization is high. Recombinant DNA technology, as well as other molecular biology and immunological techniques, have played a fundamental role in advances towards a better understanding of the biology of house dust mites and their role in allergic diseases. This kind of study also contributes to the understanding of the complex immunologic mechanisms involved in allergic reactions. The development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches depends on the continuity of research of house dust mite allergens. The objectives of this review are to describe the most important aspects of house dust mite allergy and to acquaint the scientific community with the latest findings pertaining to house dust mite allergens, particularly those derived from Bt.

The study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of mites in poultry dust and its possible contribution to respiratory diseases among the Nigerian poultry workers. Settled dusts from 20 poultry confinements were analysed for the presence of mites. Questionnaire was administered to assess the symptoms of respiratory ill-health and socio-demographic profiles of poultry workers. Mites were recovered from of all the poultry twenty dust samples. The species of mites isolated were poultry mite Dermanyssus gallinae , house dust mite Dermatophagoides evansi and rodent mite Ornithosonysus bacoti. Significantly higher frequencies (p<0.001) for symptoms of bronchitis/hyperactive airways (cough, sputum, shortness of breath, tightness in chest, wheezing) and symptoms of mucous membrane irritation (running nose, scratchy throat burning/watering eyes), were reported by poultry workers than control populace. Employers in the poultry industry have to undertake a careful health surveillance of thei...

The authors concluded that this review provided encouraging evidence which suggested that sublingual immunotherapy using house dust mite extract might be efficacious in treating patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma, but that further research is required. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the potential for missing data and the likely poor reliability of the pooled data. Authors' objectives To assess the efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy using house dust mite extracts in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma Searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and SCOPUS were searched for studies published up to March 2008. Search terms were reported. In addition, reference lists of reviews and published trials were searched for further studies, along with the abstracts of relevant meetings.