The role of the house dust mite and other household pests in the incidence of allergy among Barbadian asthmatics - abstract

ABSTRACT

The incidence of allergy to 14 different household pests, including 2 house dust mite species (D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus), was investigated among 156 asthmatic children in Barbados. Independent variables, including urban/rural residence, building material of the home, and presence of carpeting, were found to be significant factors related to the house dust mite allergy. The continuing trend of modernization of the domestic environment, which provides an optimal microhabitat for several household pests, is implicated as a probable contributing factor in the increasing overall prevalence of asthma reported in Barbados. Children between the ages of 5 and 18 years with a diagnosis of bronchial asthma were selected from attendees at six polyclinics distributed throughout the island, an urban private general practice, and the accident and emergency department of the only acute general hospital on the island. Skin tests were done by scratching, and by intradermal injection, if the scratch test proved negative. Allergy to the house dust mite was the most common of the reactions to the household pests tested, and was found in 81 percent of the asthmatic children (AU)