Risk of exposure of a selected rural population in South Poland to allergenic mites. Part\xa0II: acarofauna of farm buildings

Krzysztof Solarz,Celina Pająk

doi:10.1007/s10493-019-00355-7

Abstract

Exposure to mite allergens, especially from storage and dust mites, has been recognized as a risk factor for sensitization and allergy symptoms that could develop into asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of mites in debris and litter from selected farm buildings of the Małopolskie province, South Poland, with particular reference to allergenic and/or parasitic species as a potential risk factor of diseases among farmers. Sixty samples of various materials (organic dust, litter, debris and residues) from farm buildings (cowsheds, barns, chaff-cutter buildings, pigsties and poultry houses) were subjected to acarological examination. The samples were collected in Lachowice and Kurów (Suski district, Małopolskie). A total of 16,719 mites were isolated including specimens from the cohort Astigmatina (27 species) which comprised species considered as allergenic (e.g., Acarus siro complex, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Lepidoglyphus destructor, Glycyphagus domesticus, Chortoglyphus arcuatus and Gymnoglyphus longior). Species of the families Acaridae (A. siro, A. farris and A. immobilis), Glycyphagidae (G. domesticus, L. destructor and L. michaeli) and Chortoglyphidae (C. arcuatus) have been found as numerically dominant among astigmatid mites. The majority of mites were found in cowsheds (approx. 32%) and in pigsties (25.9%). The remaining mites were found in barns (19.6%), chaff-cutter buildings (13.9%) and poultry houses (8.8%). The results suggest that the allergenic mites may constitute an occupational hazard for agricultural workers in all farming environments examined.

Highlights

Storage mites, especially several species from the families Acaridae, Glycyphagidae and Chortoglyphidae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes, Astigmatina), are commonly found in stored food products, hay, straw, granaries, barns and other farming and occupational environments, in dust from railway freight wagons, as well as in samples of house dust
The greatest exposure to storage mites usually occurs in an agricultural setting where allergies to these mites are of major importance
For farmers and other agricultural workers both storage and house dust mites may act as inhalant allergens

Summary

Introduction

Especially several species from the families Acaridae, Glycyphagidae and Chortoglyphidae (Acari: Sarcoptiformes, Astigmatina), are commonly found in stored food products, hay, straw, granaries, barns and other farming and occupational environments, in dust from railway freight wagons, as well as in samples of house dust. The most abundant mites are Acarus siro, Acarus farris, Tyrophagus longior and Tyrophagus putrescentiae from Acaridae, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Glycyphagus domesticus from Glycyphagidae and Chortoglyphus arcuatus from Chortoglyphidae (Boström et al 1997; Franz et al 1997; Mehl 1998; Sánchez-Ramos et al 2004, 2007; Pike and Wickens 2008; Wong et al 2011; Solarz 2012). These mites were identified as a source of clinically important allergens, causing occupational allergy (known as allergy to storage mites) among farmers, grain-storage workers and other agricultural workers (Fain et al 1990; Revsbech and Dueholm 1990; van Hage-Hamsten and Johansson 1998). These mites cause IgE-mediated sensitization among the above-mentioned occupational populations, who develop asthma, rhinitis and conjunctivitis when exposed to organic dust containing mite allergens (Arlian 2002; Sánchez-Ramos et al 2004; Berger et al 2005; Solarz 2012).

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