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Article: Beware the beastly dust mite
- Article from:
- The Press
- Article date:
- August 13, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1996 The Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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They are small but dangerous and they are out to get you. Dust
mites are relatives of spiders, and like them, have eight legs.
They are microscopic creatures only a fraction of a millimetre
long, too small to be seen by the naked eye. Chances are, however,
that thousands of the pesky critters are teeming in your carpets,
furniture, and bedding.
Dust mites are truly disgusting. A team of British scientists
headed by Drs John Maunder and T. Htut have identified the house dust
mite as a primary cause of asthma.
``The mites excrete ultra dry pellets which are so light that they
float in the air and get lodged in the lungs,'' says Dr Maunder.