A nationwide study on dust mites in Irish schools is to be undertaken to fight asthma and other allergies.
Ireland has 470,000 asthma sufferers - the fourth-largest number in the world - and over 80 per cent of children with allergic asthma are sensitive to house dust mites that exist in every household.
Over half of the 7,000 asthma-related hospital admissions in the country every year are for children under 14.
The Asthma Society of Ireland (ASI) has now teamed up with vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson to analyse dust mites in randomly selected schools.
The results should give an insight into how children are exposed to allergies in classrooms, where they spend up to 30 per cent of their day.
Dr Pat Manning, chairman of ASI's medical committee said: "This study will help us raise awareness around asthma and devise strategies to treat the condition and reduce its occurrence in Ireland."
A Dyson spokesman added: "Dust samples from the school classrooms will be analysed for allergens such as house dust mites and moulds. This will give an insight into the role of allergen exposure in the school environment, where children spend 25-30 per cent of their day."
Dust created by the minute droppings and decomposing body parts of the dust mite insect are the biggest cause of allergic reactions. The mites exist in every household and feed on human skin cells.
PA