Intestinal acariasis in Anhui Province.

Abstract

The mites found in stored food and house comprise a large group of subclass Acari, belonging to the suborder Acardida of the order Acariformes. They can be found in dust and vacuum samples from floors, furniture, mattresses, Chinese herb al medicine, dry fruit, grain, flour, sugar, and bedding. These mites are nidico lous and feed on organic debris, including sloughed human skin, fungi, spilled food, pollen, etc. These mites are particularly prevalent in Chinese herbal medi cine, dry fruit, grain, flour, sugar, beds, though carpeted floors near beds or couches may also have large numbers. The most common species are Acarus siro, Ty rophagus putrescentiae, Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus, Glycyphagus domesticus, G. Ornatus, Carpoglyphus lactis and Tarsonemus granarius, etc. The viability of mites in storage is quite strong and they can invade and parasitize the intestines of humans[1-15]. They can cause pulmonary acariasis[16-25], urinary acariasis[26-33] and so on. The dejecta of mites is a quite strong allergen and can cause different allergic diseases[34-44]. Intestinal acariasis can be caused by some mites related to the way of diet intake and invading against intestinal mucosa, intestinal muscle [45-58]. The first report of intestinal acariasis caused by these mites was made by Hinman et al[45] (1934). From then on, all kinds of studies on the disease have been reported gradually. In order to make an epidemiological survey of intestinal acariasis the investigation of the disease was taken in so me areas of Anhui Province from 1989 to 1996.