Xây dựng quy trình thu thập và định danh mạt bụi trong nhà tại thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

House dust mites are recognized globally as significant sources of allergens, particularly prevalent in tropical urban environments due to favorable climatic conditions. Accurate identification of these microscopic arthropods and their species composition is paramount for understanding their ecological distribution and developing effective strategies for allergy management. In Ho Chi Minh City, the current lack of a standardized and locally tailored protocol for house dust mite collection and morphological assessment poses a challenge for generating region-specific allergen data. This study addresses this critical gap by aiming to establish a robust and technically feasible protocol that ensures high-quality specimen recovery and precise morphological identification, thereby contributing essential baseline data to enhance the diagnostic relevance of allergy testing in Vietnam.

Researchers in parasitology, entomology, and public health; medical professionals specializing in allergology; and laboratory technicians involved in environmental allergen analysis, particularly in tropical urban settings.

This study focused on establishing a standardized and locally applicable protocol for the collection and morphological identification of house dust mites from household dust in Ho Chi Minh City, addressing a critical need for accurate allergen data in a tropical urban setting. The methodology involved collecting dust samples from mattresses, sofas, and carpets in 100 residential units using a handheld vacuum. These samples underwent a series of physical and chemical processing steps, including ethanol treatment and saturated saline flotation, followed by light microscopy for morphological assessment. Initially, the protocol faced challenges with specimen quality, leading to obscured structures and difficulty in precise identification. To overcome this, the protocol was refined by increasing ethanol concentration to 90% and extending the soaking time to 24 hours, significantly improving sample clarity and preserving diagnostic morphology. The optimized protocol demonstrated high efficacy, successfully yielding 65.6% of specimens with intact morphological features adequate for taxonomic identification. Furthermore, the survey revealed the widespread environmental presence of house dust mites, with detections in 90% of the surveyed households. The established protocol is technically feasible and effective for field implementation in urban Vietnamese settings. It not only provides essential baseline data for future ecological surveys but also supports the development of region-specific allergen sources, thereby enhancing the diagnostic relevance of allergy testing and management in Vietnam.