Abstract
Surveys of domestic mites were carried out in 21 wooden houses in and around Nagoya City from September 1983 to June 1984 at about 3-month intervals. The relationship between housing conditions and the prevalence of mites was first examined by multiple regression analysis, then the resultant standard partial regression coefficients were used as explanatory variables of cluster analysis. The mites were classified into two groups. Dermatophagoides farinae, Haplochthonius simplex, Tarsonemidae and Cosmochthonius reticulatus formed one cluster. These mites seemed to be better adapted to a relatively dry environment, since they had a significant positive correlation with the number of rooms and negative correlation with family size, except for C. reticulatus. D. pteronyssinus, Glycyphagidae, Cheyletidae and Acaridae formed the other cluster. They seemed to be better adapted to a relatively damp environment, because D. pteronyssinus, Glycyphagidae and Acaridae are known to have high humidity requirements. Glycyphagidae had a significant positive correlation with family size and working housewife, and negative correlation with the number of rooms and age of house. Housing conditions were also classified into two groups. One group consisted of the number of rooms, types of flooring and heating system, age of house, and air conditioning. These were considered to be dry factors. The other group consisted of family size, working housewife, house-cleaning frequency, and type of bedding. Family size and working housewife were considered to be humid factors. These results suggested that the difference in the prevalence of mites was a reflection of the interrelationship between the biological characteristics of mites, especially their humidity requirements, and the degree of dampness in houses largely influenced by household activities and dwelling space.
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