House dust mite fauna of tropical Singapore

Introduction and aims Sensitization to house dust mites is very common in the tropics. This study evaluated the dust mite fauna in Singaporean homes. Methods A total of 134 dust samples from 50 homes were evaluated. Dust mites were isolated, identified and quantified by standard techniques. Results Dust mites were isolated from 130/134 (97%) samples, with mites identified in all samples from sofas (n = 21) and carpets (n = 13), and 49/50 (98%) and 47/50 (94%) from mattresses and bedroom floors, respectively. All samples from sofas and carpets had more than 500 mites/g compared with 47/50 (94%) and 23/50 (46%) from mattresses and floors, respectively. Blomia tropicalis was the predominant mite (62% of total mites) followed by D. pteronyssinus (16% of total mites). Eight samples had a predominance of Sturnophagoides brasiliensis and Tarsonemus granarius. Other species that accounted ≈ 1% of mites identified included D. farinae, Austroglycyphagus malaysiensis, Cheyletus malaccensis, Malayoglyphus intermedius, Suidasia pontifica and Tyrophagus putrescentiae. Conclusion Dust mites were highly prevalent and present in high densities in Singaporean homes with B. tropicalis being the most prevalent species.