[Human pulmonary ascariasis in Anhui Province: an epidemiological survey]

924 subjects, 542 males and 382 females working in grainstoring, or herb-storing, from different parts of Anhui Province were examined for the possible existence of pulmonary acariasis. 49 cases(5.3%), 31 males and 18 females, were found positive for mites in their sputum. 83.7% of the sufferers aged 16-45. 22 out of the 22 out of the 49 sufferers developed a marked eosinophilia ranging from 4% to 48% and a count of 320-5,050/mm3, whereas X-ray films revealed varied degrees of widening lung hilum shadow with increased and disordered lung markings. In some cases, the chest-film showed a lot of scattered nodular shadows 1-5 mm in diameter in the lung lobes. The symptoms presented were cough, expectoration, depression in the chest, restlessness, low fever, asthma, hemoptysis, etc. 10 species of mites were found in the sputum of the 49 sufferers, i.e. Acarus siro, Tyrophagus putreseltiae, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Caloglyphus berlesei, C. myoophagus, Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus, Euroglyphus maynei, Tarsonemus granarius, Cheyletus eruditus.