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H. T. R.

JAMA. 1970;212(9):1514-1515.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

It has been known for many years that house dust has the capacity to induce allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Until recently, the specific allergen has lain undiscovered in this potpourri of desiccated detritus, and, of necessity, house dust "vaccines" have represented the epitome of shotgun prophylaxis.

A recent article in Science by Wharton¹ is the latest to call attention to what is now common knowledge among allergists but perhaps not among other physicians, namely, that the active principle of these annoying dusts resides on the lowly floor mite.

This fascinating story begins in 1964 with the report by Voorhorst et al² who found Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in house dust and, on the basis of very suggestive evidence, proposed that it might be the cause of atopy. In 1967, in an extension of their earlier work, the investigators³ confirmed the presence of these malevolent-looking tiny creatures, the protonymphs . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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