TITLE: Ubiquitous presence of cat allergen in cat-free buildings: probable dispersal from human clothing.
AUTHORS: Enberg RN; Shamie SM; McCullough J; Ownby DR
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan.
SOURCE: Ann Allergy 1993 Jun; 70(6): 471-4
CITATION IDS: PMID: 8507041 UI: 93282617
ABSTRACT:Fel d 1 has been found in almost all houses investigated, including those in which cats have never been present. These observations have not been explained. We measured Fel d 1 in samples of carpet dust from ten newly built model homes, 14 occupied homes, six allergists' offices, five hospital corridors, and three shopping mall stores. We also measured Fel d 1 on T-shirts of persons with and without cats. Measurable amounts of Fel d 1 were found in all the dust samples. Fel d 1 found in older model homes exceeded that found in newer model homes (P<.05). The amounts of Fel d 1 found in allergists' offices, hospital corridors, and retail stores were similar to the amounts found in occupied homes without cats. Fel d 1 was found in all T-shirts sampled and increased with increasing exposure to cats. Our findings confirm and extend previous reports of the ubiquitous presence of cat allergen and are consistent with the hypothesis that Fel d 1 is carried into cat-free buildings on the clothing of people exposed to cats.

TITLE: School as a risk environment for children allergic to cats and a site for transfer of cat allergen to homes.
AUTHORS: Almqvist C; Larsson PH; Egmar AC; Hedren M; Malmberg P; Wickman M
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Department of Environmental Health, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
SOURCE: J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999 Jun; 103(6): 1012-7.
CITATION IDS: PMID: 10359879 UI: 99289411
ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND: Many children are allergic to furred pets and avoid direct pet contact. The school may be a site of indirect exposure to pet allergens, which may induce or maintain symptoms of allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate airborne levels of cat allergen (Fel d 1) at schools and in homes with or without cats and to study clothes as a route for dissemination of allergens between homes and school. METHODS: Airborne cat allergen was collected with personal samplers from (1) children attending classes with many (>25%) or few (<10%) cat owners and (2) homes with or without cats. A recently developed amplified ELISA assay, which detects low levels of airborne cat allergen in pet-free environments, was used. Dust samples were collected from clothes and mattresses. RESULTS: There was a 5-fold difference in the median levels of airborne cat allergen between classes with many and few cat owners (2.94 vs 0.59 ng/m3; P<.001). The median airborne cat allergen concentration in classes with many cat owners was significantly higher than that found in the homes of non-cat owners (P<.001) by lower than that found in homes with cats (P<.001). Allergen levels in non-cat owners' clothes increased after a school day (P<.001). Non-cat owners in classes with many cat owners had higher levels of mattress-bound cat allergen (P=.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate significant exposure to cat allergen at scool. Allergen is spread through clothing from homes with cats to classrooms. There the allergen is dispersed in air and contaminates the clothes of children without cats. The allergen levels in non-cat owners' homes correlate with exposure to cat allergen at school.