title: Effect of airborne allergens on emergency visits by children for conjunctivitis and rhinitis.
abstract: The effect of fungal spores and pollen grains on morbidity from childhood conjunctivitis and rhinitis is mostly unknown. We therefore studied the association between daily concentrations of these airborne allergens and daily emergency visits to a children hospital between 1993 and 1997. An increase of 551 basidiomycetes spores per m(3), or of 72 ragweed grains per m(3), was associated with an increase of about 10% in visits for conjunctivitis and rhinitis (p<0.01). Our results suggest that conjunctivitis and rhinitis could be caused by fungal spores and pollens in the air.
authors.forename: Sabit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cakmak
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Dales
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Burnett
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Judek
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000485:Allergens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011058:Pollen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens