Abstract
The mite fauna of dust from cloth-covered seats of four passenger trains and bedding from a British Rail linen store in Glasgow was investigated; 22 samples containing 4488 mg of dust from a total surface area of 5.5 m2 were taken. Sixteen samples were positive for mites and 33 specimens belonging to 10 species were found. The most common species were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart), Glycyphagus domesticus (De Geer), G. destructor (Schrank) and Euroglyphus maynei (Cooreman). The species composition bore considerable resemblance to that of house dust (although the density of mites was far lower) and the mites have probably been transported from homes via clothing and pets. Only five intact specimens, which may have been alive at the time of sampling, were found. The dust from trains consisted mostly of particles of soot. Very few skin scales, the food source of house dust mites, were detected. The small numbers of intact mites found and the absence of an identifiable food source make it unlikely that permanent populations of mites survive in upholstered seats on trains.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Arlian L. G., Bernstein I. L., Gallagher J. S. The prevalence of house dust mites, Dermatophagoides spp, and associated environmental conditions in homes in Ohio. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1982 Jun;69(6):527–532. doi: 10.1016/0091-6749(82)90178-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Clark R. P. Skin scales among airborne particles. J Hyg (Lond) 1974 Feb;72(1):47–51. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400023196. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Colloff M. J. Use of liquid nitrogen in the control of house dust mite populations. Clin Allergy. 1986 Jan;16(1):41–47. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1986.tb01952.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hewitt M., Barrow G. I., Miller D. C., Turk F., Turk S. Mites in the personal environment and their role in skin disorders. Br J Dermatol. 1973 Oct;89(4):401–409. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1973.tb02995.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sesay H. R., Dobson R. M. Studies on the mite fauna of house dust in Scotland with special reference to that of bedding. Acarologia. 1972 Dec;14(3):384–392. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]