Shellfish allergy is common and persistent

Shellfish allergy is common and persistent in adults, and is an important cause of food induced anaphylaxis http://bit.ly/LvbCD

Shellfish allergy is a frequent, long-lasting, life-threatening disorder. As shellfish consumption increases, the number of allergic reactions to shellfish is expected to continue to rise too http://goo.gl/D2PRx

Most shellfish-allergic children also have sensitivity to dust mite and cockroach allergens. Exposure to cockroach is linked to high shrimp IgE with questionable clinical reactivity - food challenge is needed for diagnosis (JACI, 2011). Shrimp Allergy in Italian Adults: Skin reactivity to house dust mite (HDM) was found 70% (Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2011),

Diagnostic cut-off levels for skin prick testing in shrimp allergy exist (3 mm larger than the negative control) but there are no diagnostic specific IgE values.

The fact that you have a negative skin test to crab does not rule out a possible allergy to this food (AAAAI Ask the Expert, 2012).

All patients with IgE-mediated reactions to shellfish should receive EpiPens, even if the initial symptoms are mild.


Allergic Reaction to Shrimp on Flickr:

"I had a severe allergic reaction to shrimp. Before that, I have always eaten seafood. But this time, I ate something that my body did not like". Image source: Flickr.

Related reading:

A puzzle: an Orthodox Jewish patient with an allergy to shellfish. How is that possible?
Update on Seafood Allergy
Not all shellfish "allergy" is allergy http://buff.ly/136JpPq
Image source: A steamed tail-on shrimp, Wikipedia, public domain.

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