[Sensitization to mites. Relation with atopic diseases in school children from San Antonio de los Baños]

Allergic diseases represent an international public health problem, in particular asthma in infantile population, the reports of allergic incidence in general population show a not uniform significant statistical increase.

To determine the frequency of domestic dust mite sensitization and its relation with atopic diseases in our environment.

In an analytical transversal study the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire was applied to 100 students from 6 to 7 years old in a primary school of San Antonio de los Baños Community in La Habana, Cuba between September 2006 and March 2007.

The prevalence of allergic disease in this study corresponded to asthma in 27%, allergic rhinitis in 40% and 26% to atopic dermatitis. The 50% of the allergic infantile population presented a mite positive dermatological scarification tests. The major positivity to the dermatological test was to Blomia tropicalis in 52%. There was a significant statistically association between cutaneous mite reactivity and the presence of atopic diseases. Inside this group, patients with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis had a similar cutaneous response.

Fifty percent of the studied population had a mite sensitization, mainly to Blomia tropicalis, showing a significant statistical association with the presence of atopic diseases, an important health problem in the studied area.