Acaricides

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing a house dust mite infestation, said method comprising applying an acaricidal infectious agent at a site of a house dust mite infestation, or at a site proximal thereto, or at a site at risk of such infestation. Also encompassed are uses of acaricidal infectious agents, methods of isolating acaricidal infectious agents, acaricidal infectious agents obtainable by said methods, acaricidal infectious agent formulations, foodstuffs and mite attractants comprising the same.

1 . A ready-to-use (RTU) formulation for treating or preventing a house dust mite infestation, said formulation comprising:
 a. an acaricidal infectious agent that is capable of transmissible infection (agent replication) in or on said house dust mite, and presented in the form of house dust mite material infected with said agent; and   b. a foodstuff and/or mite attractant, wherein the acaricidal infectious agent is coated with or dispersed within said foodstuff and/or mite attractant in the form of a bait, and wherein the foodstuff and/or mite attractant encapsulates said house dust mite material.   
     
     
         2 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein said house dust mite material comprises a house dust mite, a house dust mite carcass, or a combination thereof in whole or powdered, pulverized and/or homogenised form. 
     
     
         3 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the foodstuff comprises liver flake, pet food, yeast, flour, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , in the form of a microencapsulation capsule, comprising a size of from about 1 μm to about 1000 μm, preferably about 1 μm to about 800 μm. 
     
     
         5 . A formulation according to  claim 4 , wherein said microencapsulation capsule comprises or consists of one or more selected from starch, styrene maleic acid anhydride half ester, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . A formulation according to  claim 4 , wherein said microencapsulation capsule comprises or consists of foodstuff and/or mite attractant. 
     
     
         7 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the dry formulation is a paste or a solid, preferably a dry powder. 
     
     
         8 . A formulation according to  claim 1  for preventing an increase in the concentration of a house dust mite-derived allergen. 
     
     
         9 . A formulation according to  claim 1  for preventing or treating a condition (e.g., asthma, allergic rhinitis, dermatitis, eczema or combinations thereof) caused or exacerbated by a house dust mite-derived allergen. 
     
     
         10 . A formulation according to  claim 1  for preventing or reducing sensitisation of a subject to a house dust mite-derived allergen. 
     
     
         11 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the house dust mite is selected from the genus:  Dermatophagoides , Euroglyphus or combinations thereof;
 optionally wherein the house dust mite is one or more selected from the species:  Dermatophagoides  pteronissynus,  Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides microceras  and  Dermatophagoides siboney , Euroglyphus  maynei  or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         12 . A formulation according to  claim 1 , wherein the acaricidal infectious agent is a virus, a bacterium with the proviso that said bacterium is not a  Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus sphaericus , and/or a variant or derivative thereof that exerts an acaricidal effect by means of a secreted proteinaceous toxin, a fungus, a protozoan or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A formulation according to  claim 12 , wherein the acaricidal infectious agent is a virus of the family Baculoviridae.