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House-dust mite sensitivity among rural and urban asthmatics of West Bengal, India: a comparison

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Abstract

House-dust mite allergy is a fairly common problem in West Bengal among individuals sensitive to dust inhalation. House-dust mites belonging to the genusDermatophagoides are abundant in the homes of asthmatic patients residing in urban as well as rural areas of West Bengal. The frequency of positive skin reaction to different dust-related allergens tested was higher (χ2=5.4777, df = 1;P < 0.05) among patients of urban areas compared with that among the patients of rural areas. Urban patients showed more frequent skin reaction towards cockroach allergen, while rural patients are more sensitive to hay-dust allergen and these are very much related to their local environmental conditions. Analysis of radioallergosorbent test (RAST) results against house dust (HD) and mites reveal that 73 and 90% patients of both urban and rural areas responded positively towardsDermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DP) andDermatophagoides farinae (DF) antigens, respectively. The present study indicates no significant difference in house-dust mite sensitivity and mite levels in homes among the rural and urban asthmatics of West Bengal, India as evidenced from the results of analysis of dust samples, allergy skin test and detection of mite-specific IgE antibodies by RAST.

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  1. Department of Medical Entomology, School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta, 700 073, West Bengal, India

    Goutam Kumar Saha

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  1. Goutam Kumar Saha
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Saha, G.K. House-dust mite sensitivity among rural and urban asthmatics of West Bengal, India: a comparison. Aerobiologia 13, 269–273 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02694494

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