Honeybee interference as a novel aid to reduce pollen exposure and nasal symptoms among greenhouse workers allergic to sweet bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) pollen.
BACKGROUND
In 1999, an extensive study among bell pepper growers showed a prevalence of 53.8% work-related symptoms and 35.4% sensitisation to bell pepper pollen. Experiments with bees to remove pollen from bell pepper flowers have been done for a few years.


OBJECTIVE
It was the aim of this study to investigate whether bees can reduce the pollen exposure in bell pepper greenhouses and whether this reduction results in a decrease in allergic complaints in the greenhouse workers.


METHODS
Eighteen greenhouses were selected for the study. In each greenhouse, pollen exposure was estimated. In 6 and 3 of the greenhouses, high, respectively low, numbers of honeybees were placed throughout the pollen season of the sweet bell pepper plant. Nine greenhouses without honeybees were used as control. At baseline, as well as after 4 and 8 months, nasal symptoms assessed with a visual analogue score and lung function parameters were used as outcome measure.


RESULTS
Forty-four of the 133 employees invited reported work-related symptoms. High numbers of bees reduced the pollen amount in a dose-dependent way to 18% of the baseline exposure. A significant trend relationship between the visual analogue scale in nasal symptoms and the number of colonies of bees was seen.


CONCLUSIONS
The interference of bees in bell pepper greenhouses significantly reduces the pollen amount. This reduction is associated with less work-related rhinitis symptoms in allergic greenhouse workers. This intervention study supports the hypothesis that allergic work-related complaints of greenhouse workers, sensitised to bell pepper pollen, are caused by occupational exposure to this pollen in the greenhouse.
de Jong
Nicolette W
NW
Department of Allergology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. n.w.dejong@erasmusmc.nl
van der Steen
Josef J M
JJ
Smeekens
Christ C
CC
Blacquière
Tjeerd
T
Mulder
Paul G H
PG
van Wijk
Roy Gerth
RG
de Groot
Hans
H
D000328:Adult; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees; D002212:Capsicum / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*