Studies on house dust mites in Great Cairo, Egypt

Nowadays, house dust mites have showed themselves as one of the health problem worldwide. They have to be considered in the differential diagnosis of allergy particularly in children. House dust mites were collected from eight different areas in Great Cairo. Nine species of mites were recovered from indoors. In order of abundance, they were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, D. farinae, Tyrophagous putrescentiae, Acarus siro, Cheyletus malaccensis, Blomia kulagini, Acheles graciles, Ornithonyssus bacoti and Lepidoglyphus destructor. All these mites were collected mainly from Bolak Al Dakrour (28.8%) and Al Wayly (27.6%). The least number (1.8%) and species (only three) were collected from Madent Al Salam. Pet and stray dogs and cats, domestic birds and commensal rodents were more or less reported in the majority of the examined areas. Also, patients with history of allergy of unknown cause, were reported in ten out of 80 houses examined (12.5%). The role played by house dust mites in causing allergic manifestations was important environmental disease agents.