A study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal indicates that one in four classroom carpets contains high levels of cat dander, which can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. The research is part of the He Kura Asthma Study, where scientists vacuumed dust from 136 classrooms across 12 primary schools in Wellington and Whanganui and analyzed it for various allergens, including those from cats, cockroaches, horses, cows, dust mites, and peanuts.
Read More
Lead author Rob Siebers stated that cat allergens were found in 100 percent of the samples, and approximately 25 percent of the classrooms had levels sufficient to provoke respiratory symptoms in children allergic to cats. Siebers suggested that these allergens likely result from passive transfer via students' clothing, as there are typically no cats on school premises.
The study also revealed that 37 classrooms exhibited detectable levels of cow dander, while 82 had low levels of horse dander. Only three classrooms showed barely detectable levels of cockroach allergens. Although New Zealand has some of the highest concentrations of house dust mite allergens globally, this study found relatively low levels in schools. Siebers noted that while house dust mite allergens were present in nearly all classrooms, their concentrations were not significant enough to cause respiratory issues, likely due to regular vacuuming.
Only one classroom contained a trace of peanut allergen, at a level so low it was nearly non-detectable. Mark Dixon, head of Allergy New Zealand, expressed satisfaction with this finding, highlighting the organization’s efforts to encourage parents to leave nuts out of their children's lunches.
Given New Zealand's high rates of asthma and allergy, Siebers recommends that schools consider replacing carpets with smooth flooring to lower allergen levels. He also advised families with cats to wash their children’s clothes frequently to minimize allergen transmission to schools.
Jody Hopkinson, a mother from Tauranga whose daughter, Wanda, has a life-threatening allergy to cat and dog dander, shared her experience. Wanda suffered an anaphylactic reaction after petting a cat at the age of two and had to be administered two shots of adrenaline to save her life. Although most cat allergies are not life-threatening, they can lead to serious conditions like asthma and eczema. Hopkinson noted the difficulty of avoiding pet dander in public settings like daycare and school, although her daughter has since overcome her allergies through private immunotherapy treatment.