Even if you don't have pets -- even if you think you are allergic to dog or cat allergens -- you can't escape them... From Eurek Alert:
Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have found that detectable levels of dog and cat allergens are universally present in U.S. homes. Although allergen levels were considerably higher in homes with an indoor dog or cat, levels previously associated with an increased risk of allergic sensitization were common even in homes without the pets.This report by Arbes et al., which will appear in the July 2004 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is one of a series of allergen reports from the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing. In that nationally representative survey of 831 homes, researchers collected dust samples, asked questions, and examined homes.