According to EMLab, one of our allergen sample testing associates @http://www.emlab.com/media/resources/allergens.pdf

THEY MENTION ALL AGES...
"Sensitivity to indoor allergens poses a worldwide health problem to large segments of the population, and is relevant from early childhood to adulthood.  Across the United States the number of people with asthma and allegies has increased dramatically.  Asthma is the most common chronic illness among children in the US and one of the most common illnesses for all ages."  

(We've also recently learned that 1 out of 5 Brits suffer from asthma.)

THEY SUGGEST A CAUSE...
Asthma occurs as a result of repeated inflammation of the airways related, in part, to exposure to both indoor and outdoor allegens.  Sources for these allegens include pets, (cats, dogs), pests (dust mites, cockroaches, mice), and mold spores.  Children with combined sensitization to dust mite, cockroach and cat allergens are at increased risk of having more severe asthma.  

THEY SUGGEST CORRECTIVE ACTIONS...
"Therefore, reducing repeated human exposure to indoor allergens is important in order to reduce the frequency and severity of asthmatic attacks and to reduce the chances of developing asthma in susceptible individuals."

THEY SUGGEST WHERE INDOOR ALLERGENS CAN BE FOUND...
"Dust mites are ubiquitous in nature and are found in virtually every household.  Mites prefer warm, moist surroundings, and thrive in bedding and floor dust when humidity is high. Cockroach allegens are widely distributed in homes and schools. About 20% of homes with no evidence of cockroach infestation have significant levels of cockroach allergen in settled dust.  The level of cockroach allergen in school dust is of concern because it may constitute an important occupational risk to students, teachers and other school workers." 

THEY SINGLE OUT CAT AND DOG ALLERGENS...
"Cat allergen is very sticky and can be found at high levels on walls and other surfaces within homes.  Those who touch cats or visit households with cats easily carry cat allergen from home to home, office, school, etc.  Carpeting, bedding, and upholstered furniture in the home serve as reservoirs for deposited dog allergen.  Cat and dog allergen can remain airborne for long periods of time, in part because these allergens are associated to a significant extent with smaller particles of <5 micrometer." 

See their web site and more information at the link above.  During a recent conversation with a representative of this lab, they revealed that cat allergen can exist in a home FOR 7 YEARS AFTER THE CAT(S) WERE NO LONGER PRESENT!

EMLAB's Comments Regarding Mold Testing

(Why FiberGuard Does Not Suggest Routine Mold Assessment)

1. "The activity level in an environment at the time of sampling will likely affect the data collected.
2. "Over an extended period of time (weeks), indoor spore levels in clean environments usually average 30% to 80% of the outdoor spore level, with the same general distribution of spore types.  Filtered air, air-conditioned air, or air remove from outside sources may average 5% to 15% of the outside air.
3. "The major factor in determining appropriate indoor-outdoor ratios is the accessibility of the outdoor air to the area sampled.  A residence with open doors and windows with heavy foot traffic may average 95% of the outdoor level while high-rise office buildings with little unfiltered air exchange may average 5%.
4. "Dusty interiors can exceed 100% of the outdoors even when no mold growth is present.  In these cases, the distribution of spore types should roughly mirror the outdoor distribution. 
5. "Outdoor weather patterns should also be taken into account.  For example, snow cover can produce very low outdoor spore levels.
6. "Call your laboratory to discuss results."

The EMLab comments go on to include caution to compare outdoor results to indoor results.   If you are interested in indoor mold sampling, ask your FiberGuard technician.

FiberGuard thanks EMLab for this content.