Return to Contents in this Issue

Case Report

 

Occupational Asthma Caused by Turbot Allergy in 3 Fish-Farm Workers

 

C Pérez Carral,1 J Martín-Lázaro,1 A Ledesma,2 F de la Torre2

1Hospital da Costa, Burela, Lugo, Spain
2ALK-ABELLO, S.A., Madrid, Spain

J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2010; Vol. 20(4): 349-351

 

 Abstract


We report 3 patients (26, 31, and 33 years) who worked at the same fish farm for several years. They experienced symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis and bronchial asthma while classifying fish by size. Their asthma gradually worsened to the extent that it became
persistent and required daily medication with inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators. Symptoms improved during weekends and holidays. All 3 patients could eat turbot. Our study showed that the patients were allergic and that sensitization was probably by inhalation. The allergens were parvalbumin in 1 case and a different allergen in the remaining 2 patients.

Key words: Occupational asthma. Fish allergy. Psetta maxima. Scophthalmus maximus