Exposure to mouse allergen in schools was linked to linked to increased symptoms and decreased lung function among children with asthma.

The researchers evaluated 284 students with asthma aged 4 to 13 years who were enrolled in 37 inner city elementary schools between 2008 and 2013. Over the same year, classroom and home dust samples were collected and analyzed for common allergens, like rat, mouse, cat and dog allergens and dust mites.

Mouse allergen was present in 441 out of 443 school dust samples, or 99.5%, cat allergen in 420 samples, or about 95%, and dog allergen in 366 samples, or about 83%.

Kids exposed to the highest mouse allergen levels, compared to those exposed to the lowest, were 27% more likely to experience asthma symptoms on any given day and scored about 4 points lower on tests that measured how well their lungs worked when they exhaled.

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