Working towards healthy air in dwellings in Europe.

Poor indoor air quality has been implicated in the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases seen in industrialized countries in recent decades. Although air pollution in the workplace is well studied, much less is known about the consequences of poor air quality in homes. In an attempt to halt or slow down the increase in allergic and respiratory diseases, the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients Associations (EFA) carried out the EU-funded project entitled 'Towards Healthy Air in Dwellings in Europe' (THADE).

Mapping the probability of exceeding critical thresholds for cadmium concentrations in soils in The Netherlands.

The probability of exceeding critical thresholds of Cd concentrations in the soil was mapped at a national scale. The critical thresholds in soil were based on food quality criteria for Cd in crops or in organs of cattle (Bos taurus), and were calculated by inverting a regression model for the Cd concentration in the crop, with the Cd concentration in soil, soil organic matter (SOM) content, clay content, and pH as predictors. The probability of exceeding the critical threshold for Cd in soil per node of a 500- x 500-m grid was approximated by Monte Carlo simulation, using the estimated cumulative distribution functions (cdf) of SOM, clay, pH, and Cd as input.

Delusions of parasitosis. A psychiatric disorder to be treated by dermatologists? An analysis of 33 patients.

Delusions of parasitosis is a rare disorder in which patients have the false and fixed belief that they are infested by parasites. It is a psychiatric disorder, but patients usually present to a dermatologist and referral to a psychiatrist is almost always rejected. Treating a patient with delusions of parasitosis requires patience and tact.

Quantifying the potential for independent living in COPD-patients.

In patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), daily physical functioning as quantified by energy expenditure, is limited by decreased ventilatory capacity and increased basal metabolic rate in relation to their physical capacity. Starting from the Dutch Health-Care situation, a measurement interpretation model is presented to quantify individual potential for independent living from energy expenditure, aerobic capacity and lung function. The interpretation model concerns only simple routine measurements.

Clinical improvement after unusual avoidance measures in the home of an atopic dermatitis patient.

A 27-year-old female office clerk with widespread atopic dermatitis (AD) since infancy appeared to be highly sensitized and exposed to molds, storage mites, and chicken feathers and moderately sensitized to house-dust mites and grass and birch pollens. Hardly any textiles were present in her home; that is, only 28 m2, which is less than 25% of the Dutch national average. The causal relationship between eczema and molds plus storage mites in this case of AD was strengthened by the positive effect of an unusual, multidisciplinary home-sanitation program involving cleaning of mineral surfaces and ventilation improvement.

Mechanisms and patient compliance of dust-mite avoidance regimens in dwellings of mite-allergic rhinitic patients.

We report on the mechanisms, the environmental changes and patient compliance with regard to conventional and new dust and mite avoidance measures to prevent allergic symptoms caused by mite allergens, taking into account both allergen contamination and the developmental success of pyroglyphid Acari. Twenty patients with persisting rhinitic complaints were selected and matched. Although the patients had performed some conventional dust and mite avoidance measures (patient compliance was 90%), the dwellings proved to be a stimulus for mite development.

Comparative efficacy of house dust mite extermination products.

The acaricidal efficacy of nine marketed products, i.e. Acardust, Acarosan (foam and powder), Actelic 50, Artilin 3A (spirit and water base), liquid nitrogen, Paragerm AK, and Tymasil, and of intensive vacuum-cleaning have been compared on four different test surfaces: mattress, tufted carpet, gypsum board and rough wooden board, all covered with artificial house dust.

Clinical evaluation of a double-blind dust-mite avoidance trial with mite-allergic rhinitic patients.

Inheritance and allergen exposure are key factors in the development and the course of atopic allergy, expressed as conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma or dermatitis. This study concerns the clinical significance of mite and mite-allergen avoidance measures based on intensive cleaning with acaricide (solidified benzylbenzoate) added (10 dwellings), and without biocidal activity (10 other homes) as a control in a double-blind trial with matched pairs. Twenty subjects with persisting rhinitic complaints were selected.

The management of house dust mite allergies.

A safe and practical home sanitation procedure for the removal of house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and their allergens is described. The severity of mite infestation was assessed with the use of the Acarex test, which measures the concentration of guanine in house dust, and all affected house textiles were then treated with an Acarosan product. The active ingredient of Acarosan is benzyl benzoate, which has been used as a scabicide for over 100 years.

Evaluating mite (Acari) allergenicity of house dust by guanine quantification.

The development of a quick color reaction for guanine in house dust has made it possible to screen many homes for mite products of allergenic consequence. The azo dye methods are specific enough to be useful for the development of a sanitary standard. Comparing the guanine quantification results with mite counts and determinations of the mite antigen P1 (Der p I) leads to the conclusion that the provisional standard for mattress dust of 0.

Effects of fungicide treatment and vacuuming on pyroglyphid mites and their allergens in mattress dust.

House-dust mites (Pyroglyphidae) are an important source of indoor airborne allergens. Several methods may be applied to reduce the population growth of these mites and thus the quantity of allergen formed. One such method is to interfere with the mites' food chain.

Control of house-dust mites (Pyroglyphidae) with home disinfectants.

Chemical disinfectants and biocidal preparations used in households were tested in the laboratory for their ability to kill the house-dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae. Batches of ten specimens were soaked in aqueous solutions or suspensions containing 0.0, 0.

Guanine as a hygienic index for allergologically relevant mite infestations in mattress dust.

Since guanine is not only an essential constituent of vital nucleic acids, but also the main end product of nitrogenous waste excretion in arachnids, it is a potential candidate for a hygienic index for mite activity in house dust. The public health significance of these mites is based on their production of allergen in the home environment. In 101 mattress-dust samples, total number of mites and guanine content were positively correlated.

House-dust community (Fungi, mites) in different climatic regions.

House-dust flora and fauna were compared in the maritime cool temperate climate (in three degrees of continentality), the mediterranean warm temperate climate, the arctic climate and the tropical climate.An inverse relationship exists between continentality of the temperate climate and the numbers of arthropods and fungi (mesophilic as well as xerophilic) in the dust of the houses.The numbers of arthropods and fungi were lowest in mediterranean and arctic climates, most likely because of the limiting effect of the drier indoor climate.

A bibliography on ticks and tick-borne diseases in the countries of the Benelux (1567-1978).

Information published between 1567 and 1978 on this subject contains at least 223 titles. They cover medical and veterinary as well as biological aspects. Full bibliographical details of the publication are given.

A bibliography on ticks and tick-borne diseases in the countries of the Benelux (1567-1978).

Summary Information published between 1567 and 1978 on this subject contains at least 223 titles. They cover medical and veterinary as well as biological aspects. Full bibliographical details of the publications are given.

[The brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille 1806 in the Netherlands, an analysis of imported cases, including their veterinary and medical significance (author's transl)].

Eighteen cases of infestation with Rhipicephalus sanguineus were reported during the past five years. Of the cases, six were observed during the first seven months of 1979. Of all infestations, four originated from sources within the territory of the Netherlands.

An evaluation of biological methods in house-dust allergen research.

Methods in house dust analysis pertaining to particle identification, to extraction and identification of mites, other arthropods, fungi, bacteria and algae are evaluated. As far as possible, quantitative data are given to compare the extractive efficiency of the different methods.

[Mange caused by Trixacarus in guinea-pigs (authors transl)].

Six cases of mange in guinea-pigs due to the mite Trixacarus caviae (F ain et al., 1972) are reported. The clinical and histological features are described.