The Acarology Laboratory was featured on NPR, in Discover Magazine (September 1998) and in On Campus in 1998.
	A Dust Mite in Carpet
photo copyright by The Ohio State University Acarology Laboratory

The Acarine Physiology Laboratory’s research agenda consists of basic and applied research on ticks and mites of medical importance. Our current mite research focuses on novel methods for controlling house mites. The goal of this research is to find cost-effective, non-invasive measures to reduce and maintain dust mite produced allergens below established sensitization thresholds. Eliminating exposure to these allergens in the home is the first step for any allergy maintenance program. The objective of this project was to determine the clinical benefits of combining an effective long-term acaricide with cleaning as a management program.

The chemicals available to allergy suffers are only effective for short-term management. Re-application is necessary to sustain long-term dust mite control. We have been investigating the effectiveness of a synthetic pyrethroid acaricide in a double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial in cooperation with the Department of Internal Medicine.

In the study, asthmatics with a known history of dust mite sensitivity received either a control or pyrethroid treatment of their main living quarters. Next, thorough cleaning was conducted four months after initial treatment to remove dead mites and allergens. These areas included the living room and bedroom carpets,  mattresses and couches. Samples from each area were collected every two months and quantified to determine the number of dust mites and allergen per gram of dust. In addition, patients recorded their daily symptoms and peak flow measurements in a diary throughout the 12 month study.

Managing and preventing allergies caused by dust mites require an understanding of their biology and the indoor microhabitat where they occur. The second phase of our research centers upon the dust mite’s basic biology. Specifically, we are investing how dust mites survive periods of unfavorable conditions and communicate in a household microhabitat.

Indoor relative humidity is an important factor in dust mite survival. Dust mites obtain water by actively absorbing it from the ambient air. This active process is shutdown when the relative humidity falls below 50 percent in the home. An indoor humidity below this level is common during the winter months in temperate climates due to the heating of homes. Dust mites are able to survive these periods of unfavorable conditions by clustering to form a "super-organism." Clustering into a group restricts the loss of water and possibly allows for active absorption to occur at lower ambient relative humidity. In addition, sex specific clustering has been observed in laboratory cultures suggesting dust mites may be relying on chemical communication to find one another. We are now investigating the role semio-chemicals in clustering and other behavioral phenomenon.