Collecting and rearing Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes, a mite from housedust
Hall, C.C.; McMahon, B.; Sams, J.T.
Annals of Allergy 29(2): 81-85
1971
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-4738 PMID: 5559430 Document Number: 34188
In studies in the United States, 178 patients with inhalant allergy were tested by prick test with extracts of house dust and of a culture of Dermatophagoides farinae Hughes; 29 reacted to both antigens, 16 to house dust only, 15 to the mites only and 118 to neither. Those 15 that reacted to the mites only were tested with a more concentrated house-dust antigen by injection, and 14 gave a positive reaction. Samples of D. farinae were collected from Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, and the mites extracted. Various nutrient materials were tested for three months for rearing the mites, which were kept at 25 deg C and 80% R.H. The best media were yeast and gelatin, yeast and a proprietary product and yeast alone.