Animal allergy among husbandry personnel in Riyadh

The importance of specific animal allergy in immuno-pathology of asthma and atopic diseases remained to be defined. We measured total and specific IgE. Western blotting of some allergens was also characterised. There was a significant elevation of IgE in 3 persons among 15 samples collected. Western blotting showed common husbandry allergens from 3 sources that have common allergenicity. Exposure to animal products exacerbates allergic asthma in adults, suggesting that preventive measures should be taken to reduce their sensitivity