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House Dust Mites in Erzincan Province
Erhan Zeytun1, Salih Doğan, Medeni Aykut
1Department of Biology, Erzincan University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Erzincan, Turkey. ezeytun@erzincan.edu.tr.
Objective:
We aimed to determine the species of the house dust mites seen in Erzincan, the number of mites per gram of dust in the houses, and the relationship between temperature and the number of mite specimens.
Methods:
For this purpose, 54 dust samples collected from 18 houses located in different districts of Erzincan province between November 2013 and January 2014. These samples were examined by a lactic acid precipitation method.
Results:
Of the houses in which the dust samples were collected, 94.44% were found to be positive in terms of mites. A total of 844 mite specimens were isolated from the dust samples, and the mean number of mites per gram of dust was found to be 18.34. The most common species was found to be Acarus siro (55.55%) and was followed by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.00%), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (22.22%), Histiostoma sp. (22.22%), Lepidoglyphus destructor (16.66%), T. perniciosus(11.11%), Euroglyphus maynei (11.11%), Glycyphagus privatus (11.11%), Cheyletus sp. (11.11%), Tarsonemus sp. (11.11%), and Tetranychus sp. (11.11%).
Conclusion:
Mite-holding rate of the houses in Erzincan province was found to be 94.44%. The mean number of mites per gram of dust was found to be 18.34. The most common mite species was A. siro, which was followed by D. pteronyssinus.
Insights
House dust mites are prevalent in Erzincan homes, with Acarus siro and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus being the most common species found. High mite levels were detected in most sampled residences.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Allergen Research
- Urban Ecology
Background:
- House dust mites (HDM) are significant indoor allergens.
- Understanding mite species distribution and density is crucial for public health.
- Erzincan province's mite populations were previously uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify house dust mite species in Erzincan.
- To quantify mite density (mites per gram of dust).
- To explore the relationship between environmental temperature and mite abundance.
Main Methods:
- Collected 54 dust samples from 18 houses in Erzincan (November 2013 - January 2014).
- Utilized lactic acid precipitation for mite isolation and identification.
- Quantified mite specimens per gram of dust.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of mites was found, with 94.44% of houses positive.
- An average of 18.34 mites per gram of dust was recorded.
- Acarus siro (55.55%) and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (50.00%) were the predominant species.
Conclusions:
- Erzincan houses exhibit a high rate of mite infestation (94.44%).
- The average mite density is 18.34 mites/gram, with A. siro and D. pteronyssinus being most common.
- Further research is needed to confirm temperature-mite abundance correlations.
