Comparison of Siriraj Chamber and Other Apparatus for Restraining House Dust Mites

Abstract

Abstract

The aim of this study was to introduce a newly developed device for restraining house dust mites, called “the Siriraj chamber” and compare this new device with five different chamber types in terms of their ability to restrain mites, recovery techniques and other functions. Six different chambers were used in this study; model 1: a well designed by Kalpaklioglu; model 2: a 24-well tissue culture plate; model 3: a 15 cm diameter petri dish sealed with grease; model 4: a 15 cm diameter petri dish covered with filter paper; model 5: a mite cage; and model 6: a Siriraj chamber. Twenty adult mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) were placed in the test set up. The mites were observed and counted every day for 1 week. There was a significant difference between the chambers in their ability to restrain mites (P-value < 0.001). Models 1 and 3 had the lowest restraining ability as a result of an insufficient lock. With model 2, all the mites died due to a lack of ventilation. Model 4 could restrain the mites, but the large area made it unsuitable for observing them. Model 4 was unable to restrain mites throughout the experiment. Model 5 had the drawback of a long preparation time. The Siriraj chamber was superior to the other chambers. It was simple to use and the study area could be adjusted to the number of mites used. It can be used not only to study the biological aspects of dust mites in laboratory conditions, such as the assessment of anti-mite agents, and the protective ability of impermeable covers, but also for other studies such as scanning electron microscopy and establishing a pure local mite culture from house dust. The Siriraj chamber is recommended as a standard chamber for house dust mite studies.

Keywords : mite apparatus, acaricidal test, anti-mite agents, mite cage, mite trap