Reducing the level of dust mites in the bedroom can be achieved by replacing old mattresses and increasing a room’s ventilation, according to a new study.//

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.

More than 3,500 samples of dust were taken from mattresses found in homes in 22 different study centers throughout Europe and analyzed for the different dust mite allergens. A bed in each home was stripped of linens and an 80cm x 125cm template was placed on the area of the bed where the participant usually slept, and that area was vacuumed to collect the dust samples.

Researchers found that Der 1 and Der 2 dust mite allergens were detectable in 68% and 53% 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. Zock and colleagues concluded mite allergen exposure may be reduced by replacing the mattress regularly and increasing ventilation in the bedroom, particularly in winter.

Another study that resulted from the survey showed cat allergens may be present in homes that are cat-free.

Joachim Henrich, PhD, National Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Epidemiology, Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues’ study, “Cat allergen level: Its determinants and relationship to specific IgE to cat across European Centers,” measured the quantity of cat allergen in mattress dust, and then analyzed the relationship between ca
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