Replacing an Old Mattress and Adding More Ventilation Reduces Bedroom Dust Mites

In "Distribution and determinants of house dust mite allergen in Europe: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey II," Jan-Paul Zock, PhD, Municipal Institute of Medical Research, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues looked to determine the distribution of two common house dust mites and what conditions would affect the level of those allergens in each home.

Risk Factors for Dust Mites

Researchers found that Der 1 and Der 2 dust mite allergens were detectable in 68 percent and 53 percent of all samples, respectively, and that large differences in allergen levels occurred between study centers. Important risk factors for high allergen levels included an older mattress, a lower floor level of the bedroom, limited ventilation of bedroom and for one of the dust mites sampled, the level of dampness in the bedroom.

Ventilation Helps

The study, which was based on data collected from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II, can be found in articles in press area of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) Web site. The JACI is the peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI).