title: Impacts of heavy rain and typhoon on allergic disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Allergic disease may be increased by climate change. Recent reports have shown that typhoon and heavy rain increase allergic disease locally by concentration of airborne allergens of pollen, ozone, and fungus, which are causes of allergic disease. The objective of this study was to determine whether typhoon and heavy rain increase allergic disease in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included allergic disease patients of the area declared as a special disaster zone due to storms and heavy rains from 2003 to 2009. The study used information from the Korea Meteorological Administration, and from the National Health Insurance Service for allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a storm period, the numbers of allergy rhinitis and atopic dermatitis outpatients increased [rate ratio (RR) = 1.191; range, 1.150-1.232] on the sixth lag day. However, the number of asthma outpatients decreased (RR = 0.900; range, 0.862-0.937) on the sixth lag day after a disaster period. During a storm period, the numbers of allergic rhinitis outpatients (RR = 1.075; range, 1.018-1.132) and atopy outpatients increased (RR = 1.134; range, 1.113-1.155) on the seventh lag day. However, the number of asthma outpatients decreased to RR value of 0.968 (range, 0.902-1.035) on the fifth lag day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that typhoon and heavy rain increase allergic disease apart from asthma. More study is needed to explain the decrease in asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwan Jun
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jong Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jong Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Sun Duk
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bok Yang
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Pyun
authors.forename: Taek Ki
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Yoon Hyung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: allergy; climate change; heavy rain; typhoon