Cat, dog and house dust mite allergen levels on children’s soft toys

AbstractObjective: Children’s soft toys are known to harbour house dust mite (HDM) allergens, but little is known whether they harbour cat or dog allergens. The objective of the study was to measure cat (Fel d 1), dog (Can f 1) and HDM allergens on children’s soft toys. Methods: Dust was collected from 40 children’s soft toys and their mattresses. Data were collected on pet ownership. Dust samples were analysed for Fel d 1, Can f 1, Der p 1 and Der f 1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and results are expressed as median levels with inter-quartile ranges. Results: Thirty-five (87.5%) soft toys had detectable Fel d 1 levels (median: 0.73 µg/g; inter-quartile range: 0.26–2.56 µg/g) while 34 (85%) had detectable Can f 1 levels (1.20 µg/g; 0.53–2.68). Correspondingly, 32 (80%) mattresses had detectable Fel d 1 levels (0.18 µg/g, 0.07–1.01) while 34 (85%) had detectable Can f 1 levels (0.50 µg/g; 0.33–1.06). All mattresses and soft toys had detectable HDM allergen (Der p 1 + Der f 1) levels with sof...