Allergic sensitization in healthy school children in Kuwait: An emerging public health concern

Objective: To determine the current level of sensitization in healthy school children in Kuwait Design: Prospective cross-sectional study Setting: Al-Rashid Allergy Center, Kuwait Subjects: Healthy school-children between the ages of 8 -15 years Intervention: Skin prick test (SPT) and measurement of serum specific IgE levels Main Outcome Measures: Skin wheal diameter (> 3 mm) and IgE levels (> 0.35 KIU/l) Results: 47% of children showed positive specific IgE levels and 38% showed a positive SPT to at least one allergen. Polysensitization was common in the population (IgE 32%, SPT 20%). One in three (31%) children showed sensitization to Bermuda Grass (IgE); around one in five showed sensitization to Prosopis juliflora tree (20% IgE); grass mix (19% SPT); to cockroach (18% IgE, 12% SPT) and just slightly less to cat (15% IgE and SPT). One in 10 healthy children were sensitized to dog (11% IgE, 10% SPT); few to house dust mite (D pteronyssinus) (IgE 8%, SPT 4%); ascaris (IgE 7%). The lowest rates of sensitization were to Alternaria alternata (IgE 4%, SPT 2%); aspergillus (SPT 4%); and cladosporium (SPT 2%). Frequent, severe sensitization (Classes 3 - 6 for specific IgE) was found for Bermuda Grass (16%), prosopis tree (6%) and cat allergen (5%). Conclusion: Kuwait may be an example of con.ict between two aspects of public health endeavour in a desert environment. Practices that make the desert habitable, viz, aforestation and air-conditioning may be the same ones that encourage exposure to allergens, allergic sensitization and allergic disease.