Animal allergy among husbandry personnel in Riyadh.

BACKGROUND: The importance of specific animal allergy in immunopathology of asthma and atopic diseases remained to be defined. METHODS: We measured total and specific IgE. Western blotting of some allergens was also characterised. RESULT: 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. CONCLUSION: Exposure to animal products exacerbates allergic asthma in adults, suggesting that preventive measures should be taken to reduce their sensitivity.