Analysis of dust samples from the clinical environment of children with eczemas.

Dust samples were collected and analyzed from the environment of eczematic children both in their homes and the hospital. Samples of house dust (33) contained 16 mite species and a total of 396 mite specimens. Of these, 315 specimens were members of the family Pyroglyphidae. The most abundant species of this family was Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (285 specimens). Samples of hospital dust (49) contained 7 mite species and a total of 156 mite specimens. Again, pyroglyphids were dominant, with Euroglyphus maynei as the most frequent species. Attention is given to the high percentage of pyroglyphids in house dust as producers of an allergogenic substance, and to the importance of hygienic measures. The incidence of the individual species was dependent on the locality. The analyzed dust samples provided a relatively exact information on the environment from which the sample was taken.