Importance of house dust and storage mites in canine atopic dermatitis in the geographic region of Galicia, Spain

Sensitisation to mites is frequent in atopic dogs. The main mite genus involved in canine atopic dermatitis is Dermatophagoides. The importance of storage mite allergens in dogs has been controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitisation rates against storage mites (Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae) and house dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus) in atopic dogs from Galicia, a highly humid and temperate region of Spain, using a FcepsilonRIalpha-based immunoglobulin E (IgE) in vitro test. The study was performed on 95 dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis and presenting detectable specific serum IgE levels: 91.6% of the dogs tested positive for storage mites, whereas sensitisation to house dust mites was detected in 87.4%. These results indicate the importance of storage mites in this specific geographic area.