The allergenic importance of house dust and storage mites in asthmatics in Brunei, S.E. Asia

Abstract

Examination of dust from sleeping areas showed that storage mites, especially Glycyphagid species, were predominant in Brunei house dust. On skin testing, 60 asthmatics with 1% extracts of 6 mite species, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus provoked the greatest number of positive skin reactions (66.7%), but positive reactions for Tyrophagus putrescentiae (50%), Acarus siro (35%), Glycyphagus domesticus (40%) and Lepidoglyphus destructor (45%) demonstrated that storage mites are also significant allergens. The role of storge mites in the causation of asthma in the tropics may have been underestimated.