Original Paper

Dispersion of Horse Allergen from Stables and Areas with Horses into Homes
G. Emenius^a, A.-S. Merritt^b, B. Härfast<sup>a

a</sup>Department of Public Health Science, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and
^bNational Institute of Environmental Medicine, Division of Lung and Allergy Research, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Address of Corresponding Author

Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2009;150:335-342 (DOI: 10.1159/000226234)

  Key Words

• Air sampling
• Allergen dispersion
• Ambient air
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
• Horse allergen

  Abstract

Background/Aim: To protect susceptible subjects from exposure to horse allergen, a Swedish national report recommended a distance of at least 500 m between homes and stables and other areas with horses. The aim of this project was to study indoor and outdoor levels of horse allergen in relation to distance from stables and horse tracks. Methods: Indoor and outdoorsamples were collected with Petri dishes at 49 sites in different housing areas and near to a track for trotting horses. In the apartments, Petri dishes were placed on a bookshelf in the living room at a height of approximately 1.5 m. Outdoors, cages containing Petri dishes were attached to tree branches at various distances from the horse track. Results: Six of 45 indoor samples had detectable levels of horse allergen, 3 of those despite the fact that no family member had had any contact with horses, and 16 of 26 outdoor samples were positive. Outdoors, allergen levels drop quickly when the distance from stables or horses increases. Further, the allergen level found at a distance of 45 m from a horse track was around 1% of the allergen level found at 1 m from the track. Conclusions: Allergens dispersed from horses decline rapidly outdoors and are barely found indoors in homes. We support the view that indirect exposure to horses such as exposure from clothing of horse riders, should be taken into account when measures to protect susceptible people from undesired exposure to horse allergens are taken.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Correspondence to: Dr. Gunnel Emenius
Department of Public Health Science
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Norrbacka, 3rd floor, SE–171 76 Stockholm (Sweden)
Tel. +46 8 737 3661, Fax +46 8 737 3770, E-Mail gunnel.emenius@ki.se

  Article Information

Received: September 11, 2008
Accepted after revision: March 27, 2009
Published online: July 1, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 8
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 27