The Potential Cause of Allergy for Children: Soil Contamination with Mites, Bugs, and Geohelminths

Abstract

Background: Ectoparasitic infections are very important in poor countries. On the other hand, comprehensive information on the epidemiology of these parasites, especially in the North of Iran, remains scarce. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess soil contamination with mites, geohelminths, and bugs in residential areas of Sari city, north of Iran. Methods: A total of 90 soil samples from 3 areas were collected via multistage, cluster, and random sampling in order to examine their contamination with mites, geohelminths, and bugs during summer, 2014. The results were analyzed using the SPSS 16 software. Results: Of the 90 soil samples that were studied in different environmental areas of Sari, 30 (33.3) were observed to be contaminated with mites, 10 (11.1) had bugs, and 21 (23.3) contained geohelminths. Mites were the most commonly seen parasite among the 3 studied region. Conclusions: Based on the literature, North of Iran accounts for a high rate of allergic disorders. The current results showed high contamination rate of soil with ectoparasites in Sari. Thus, these organisms could be potential causes of allergic disorders and further studies on the subject is needed.