Management of mite development in the home

Household contamination with allergen-producing mites, mainly members of the family Pyroglyphidae, is of extensive medical and public-health importance. Effective management may led to clinical improvement of patients. It starts with an inventory of the nature and scale of the problem and its underlying causes. Where a medically relevant problem already exists, the inventory phase should be followed by chemical extermination of the mites, and subsequent removal of their allergenic products. Preventive measures such as reducing moisture and house-dust levels are essential to anticipate the recurrence of the problem. In the case of projected new dwellings, the preventive measures should be incorporated into the design and construction of the building as well as its furnishings and use, to achieve an effective management of this world-wide problem of mite allergy. Unfortunately European as well as American acarologists still take too little interest in these applied aspects of their discipline.