ZURICH, Switzerland, April 26 (UPI) -- Swiss biotechnology company Cytos says it has developed a vaccine for allergies to dust mites, which a U.S. agency says are found in "every home."
Dust mites eat flakes of skin, among other things, and live in bedding, upholstered furniture and stuffed toys. People with dust mite allergies react to the feces and body parts left by the eight-legged non-biting creatures.
"Every home has dust mites," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Web site says. Dust mite allergies also are a common cause of asthma, the EPA says.
Cytos said its vaccine -- tested on 20 volunteers -- reduced dust mite-induced allergic reactions 100-fold, while symptoms were cut one-third and asthma attacks were eliminated.
The benefits persisted eight months after the inoculations, Cytos said.
The company told The Times of London it is developing vaccines for other common allergies, including hay fever.
