Study: Most Homes Contain Mouse Allergens

THURSDAY, June 17 (HealthDayNews) -- Detectable levels of mouse allergens are present in 82 percent of American homes, says a U.S. government study.

According to researchers, this is the first time that scientists have looked at mouse allergens in the home, which they believe doctors should consider when treating people with asthma and allergies.

The study, from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, included 831 urban, suburban, and rural homes of different types in all regions of the nation. Researchers analyzed dust samples, examined the homes, and collected information from residents.

Twenty-two percent of the homes had kitchen floor concentrations of more than 1.6 micrograms of mouse allergens per gram of dust -- high enough to be associated with allergies and asthma, the researchers report.

People living in high-rise apartments and mobile homes are at greatest risk of having mouse allergens, but they were found in all types of homes. The odds of having elevated concentrations of mouse allergens were greatest in homes where rodent or cockroach problems had been reported.

The study appears in the June issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

More information

The American Medical Association has more about allergies.

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