Türkiye’nin doğu kesimlerinde (Bitlis, Muş) ev tozu akar populasyonundaki mevsimsel değişikler

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the dust mite fauna of houses in Bitlis and Muş provinces, the monthly value of mite numbers/g dust, as well as the impact of temperature, humidity and altitude on their numbers. Methods: Dust samples were collected monthly from May 2010 to April 2011 from six houses belonging to three settlements; two of the houses were located in Bitlis, while another four were in Muş province. Results: All 72 examined dust samples were found to be positive with regard to mites. The number of mites found in 1 g dust varied from 25 to 2,740. Overall, 1,167 house dust mites belonging to the orders Astigmata, Mesostigmata and Prostigmata were isolated. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was the predominant mite (83.2%), followed by Lepidoglyphus destructor (6.3%), Acarus siro (2.7%) and Tyrophagus putrescentiae (1.9%). The mite numbers were higher in the warmer months of the year. Conclusion: The dominant mite in the Bitlis and Muş provinces is Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and the highest mite numbers were found in months in which the outside humidity was low.