title: [Allergies to animals and fungi].
abstract: Allergies to animals are behind the house-dust mite allergy the most frequent cause for indoor allergic respiratory symptoms. In case of persistent allergen exposure symptoms like rhinitis, itch of the skin or asthma are usually not perceived intensively and, thus, can not assigned to an animal or an animal source. In many cases animal allergies are based on a perennial allergen exposure. Although most likely all animals may be the cause of a respiratory allergy, cats, dogs, and horses are the most frequent elicitors. The diagnosis of an allergy to an animal needs to be set with due care, since it often causes emotional reactions, diverse conflicts, but also lack of understanding. Rarer are allergies to fungi even though fungi as allergen sources since decades belong to the differential diagnosis in respiratory allergies particularly in case of late summer asthma. Fungi are ubiquitous and present indoors as well as outdoors. Unfortunately the field of fungal allergy is not well explored and diagnostic possibilities are limited. The most promising therapy in both allergy to animals and fungi would be complete avoiding of contact with the respective allergen source. Indeed many preventive recommendations are given; however, realization is often not successful. In selected cases specific immunotherapy for both animal and fungal allergies is a potential therapeutic option.
authors.affiliation: Allergiestation Zieglerspital, Medizinische Klinik, Spital Netz Bern AG, Bern.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dürr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helbling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005658:Fungi; D006801:Humans; D057805:Pets; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control