RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Pollen monitoring has been discontinuously undertaken in South Africa, a country with high biodiversity, a seasonal rainfall gradient, and nine biomes from arid to subtropical. The South African Pollen Monitoring Network was set up in 2019 to conduct the first long-term national aerospora monitoring across multiple biomes, providing weekly reports to allergy sufferers and healthcare providers. METHODS: Daily airborne pollen concentrations were measured from August 2019 to August 2021 in seven cities across South Africa. Updated pollen calendars were created for the major pollen types (>3%), the average Annual Pollen Index over 12 months was calculated, and the results were compared to available historical data. RESULTS: The main pollen types were from exotic vegetation. The most abundant taxa were Poaceae, Cupressaceae, Moraceae and Buddleja. The pollen season start, peak and end varied widely according to the biome and suite of pollen taxa. The main tree season started in the last week of August, peaked in September and ended in early December. Grass seasons followed rainfall patterns: September-January and January-April for summer and winter rainfall areas, respectively. Major urban centres, for example, Johannesburg and Pretoria in the same biome with similar rainfall, showed substantive differences in pollen taxa and abundance. Some major differences in pollen spectra were detected compared with historical data. However, we are cognisant that we are describing only 2 years of data that may be skewed by short-term weather patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in pollen spectra and concentrations were noted across biomes and between geographically close urban centres. Comparison with historical data suggests pollen spectra and seasons may be changing due to anthropogenic climate change and landscaping. These data stress the importance of regional and continuous pollen monitoring for informed care of pollinosis.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Aeropalynology is a branch of palynology that studies the content of atmospheric pollen grains and spores. The amount, concentration, and distribution of these aerospora are influenced by the seasonal flowering of parent plants and variations in climatic conditions as well as local and regional variabilities. Atmospheric pollen grains and spores are diverse and have been identified as major biological particles that trigger immune cells to release inflammatory chemical mediators, inducing respiratory-linked and allergic conditions, such as pollinosis, among susceptible individuals. OBJECTIVE: The burden of these allergic conditions on patients, families, healthcare systems, and governments has risen globally, thereby affecting developing countries, including Nigeria, wherein the financial and infrastructural institutions are not effective enough to mitigate these challenges. Avoidance of allergenic aerospora is an effective mode of addressing pollinosis with its associated conditions. However, there is a need to ascertain the atmospheric quantity, diversity, and pattern of occurrence of allergenic pollen/spores. RESULTS: In this paper, we reviewed published articles on aeropalynology in Nigeria with attention to the design and duration of the study and the used equipment. We further investigated whether identification and quantification of allergy-causing palynomorphs was part of published articles' foci. CONCLUSION: The availability of such data/information is crucial for reducing epidemiological uncertainties, enhancing the diagnosis of allergic conditions, and securing a robust set of mitigation strategies and/or effective treatment of these conditions in Nigeria.
