Cat allergen (Fel d 1) levels on school children's clothing and in primary school classrooms in Wellington, New Zealand,☆☆,,★★

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70269-0Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: New Zealand has a high prevalence of the major allergic diseases including asthma, rhinitis, and eczema, and cat ownership is common, with more than 50% of homes containing a cat. Objective: The study was designed to examine the levels of cat allergen (Fel d 1) in the primary school environment, both on floors and on children's clothing. Methods: We collected and analyzed dust samples from 11 school classrooms and from 202 children's garments using vacuum sampling and two-site monoclonal antibody ELISA, respectively. Environmental variables were identified by questionnaire. Results: The geometric mean level of Fel d 1 in classrooms was 2.61 μ/gm (95% confidence interval, 1.28 to 3.84); however, seven classrooms had a floor sample with Fel d 1 greater than 8 μg/m2. Carpeted floor levels at 2.21 μg/gm (1.28 to 3.84) were considerably higher than those on uncarpeted floors, at 0.33 μg/gm (0.1 to 1.14). Floor levels and pupil cat ownership rates were positively correlated (r2= 0.93, p = 0.0003). Children from homes with cats carried allergen on their clothes (mean Fel d 1, 6.10 μg per garment compared with non-cat owners (0.72 μg per garment). Wool and polyester garments contained more Fel d 1 than cotton clothing. Girls' clothing had significantly higher levels of allergen than did that of boys, even after controlling for cat status and fabric differences. Conclusions: Carpeting should be discouraged in environments such as schools and child care centers, where children spend considerable time. Transport of Fel d 1 on clothing from the domestic to the school environment is a major source of classroom cat allergen. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;100:755-9.)

Section snippets

METHODS

Ten primary schools from the Wellington city area were contacted initially by telephone and subsequently by letter and asked to participate in a study to quantitate Fel d 1 levels on classroom floors and on the clothing of 7- to 9-year-old children. One school declined to participate because of concerns that the large number of ethnic groups in the school would make obtaining genuinely informed consent difficult. Before our visit to the school, written consent was obtained from each child's

RESULTS

Floor samples were collected from eleven classrooms in nine primary schools. Questionnaire information and garment dust were collected from 191 of the 274 children eligible to participate in the study (70% response rate). Eleven additional children, from another classroom from which no floor sample was available, were also sampled. These 11 samples were included in the clothing analysis, providing a total sampled number of 202 garments, but were excluded from the floor correlation analysis.

DISCUSSION

Fel d 1 is widespread throughout the environment, being readily detectable in places where no cats are present. Our findings confirm extremely high cat ownership in New Zealand, as reported recently.3

Children from homes with cats carry significant amounts of allergen on their clothes (mean Fel d 1, 6.1 μg per garment), with wool and polyester garments containing greater amounts than cotton clothing. There may be differences in the frequency of laundering these garments because it is likely that

Acknowledgements

We thank Kristin Wickens, Rob Siebers, and other members of the Wellington Asthma Research Group for assistance and the schools and children involved in the study for their willing cooperation.

References (21)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

From Wellington Asthma Research Group, Department of Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington South, New Zealand.

☆☆

Supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Wellington Medical Research Foundation, the Marjorie Barclay Trust, and the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand.

Reprint requests: Penny Fitzharris, MD, Department of Medicine, Wellington School of Medicine, PO Box 7343, Wellington South, New Zealand.

★★

1/1/84673

View full text