Study: Is child asthma linked to school mice?

People often think of dust, mold and pet dander as asthma foes for children at home. But a new study points to a culprit of uninvited rodents in schools: mice.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, appears to be the first to look at school allergens and student health. Other studies have focused on allergens inside homes.

The study found mice can infiltrate allergens in the air and serve as a major cause of asthma attacks in schools. The study’s findings were summarized by MedlinePlus Health, a product of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

The study does not prove cause and effect, so other studies would need to look at effects from air purifiers and pest management in schools.

Researchers conducted the study over several years – taking dust samples from schools, testing childrens’ lung health and interviewing parents.

Researchers focused on 284 students with asthma at 37 inner-city schools in the Northeast, so allergens could vary in other regions. But the study did find mouse allergens as almost universal in schools – at varying degrees.

Other allergens, such as dust mites and cat and dog dander, were also detected but at levels that were not linked to the severity of the childrens’ asthma symptoms.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 7:53 AM with the headline "Study: Is child asthma linked to school mice?."