title: Occupational generalised urticaria and allergic airborne asthma due to anisakis simplex.
abstract: Anisakis simplex (AS), a fish and cephalopodes parasite, may cause allergic reactions in humans on eating and/or handling contaminated fish. We present a case of occupational hypersensitivity to AS in a woman employed in a frozen-fish factory. She showed both generalised urticarial rash and asthmatic symptoms after work place exposure. All these symptoms immediately disappeared after work place exposure was ceased. The presence of a positive skin prick test and high specific IgE values confirmed a hypersensitivity to anisakis. This is the first case reported of both occupational generalised urticaria and allergic airborne asthma due to AS in the same patient. We suggest that AS could be an important cause of occupational asthma and/or urticaria in the fish industry.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Immunodermatology, Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, I.D.I.-IRCCS, Rome, Italy. e.scala@idi.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pirrotta
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cadoni
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Girardelli
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Pità
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puddu
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D017163:Anisakis; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests; D014581:Urticaria / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D007073:Immunoglobulin E