Allergy & Parasites

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The Link Between Parasites and Allergy

Parasites appear to play two roles in allergy.

First, they are highly allergenic; that is, they frequently trigger allergic reactions.Anisakiasis can create allergy

In fact, parasitic reactions can be mistaken for food allergy, as is often the case with stro allergic anisakiasis, a condition in which ingesting raw or under-cooked fish containing the parasite Anisakis simplex causes a delayed munoglobulin E allergic reaction.

Recent Study

In a recent report, a group of Spanish researchers examined 40 patients who made emergency hospital visits for apparent food allergy symptoms—hives, bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, as well as abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Of these, 20 had eaten fish within the past 26 hours.

These patients also tested positive for the Anisakis parasite and were found to have elevated levels of IgE antibodies, indicating that their bodies were responding allergically to the parasitic invasion.”

Parasites also increase intestinal permeability.

Guardia lamblia is especially implicated in the development of allergy due to leaky gut. In a 1998 study, researchers evaluated raw fish allergy giardiaa group of Venezuelan children for giardiasis (Giardia infestation) and allergy.

Seventy percent of the children infected with Guardia also manifested symptoms of IgE-mediatied food allergy, compared to 43% of non-parasitized children.”

The researchers concluded that Giardia parasites had damaged the children’s intestinal mucous membranes and caused sensitization to foods.

Another study suggests that parasitic infestation disrupts the regulation of IgE synthesis and causes hypersensitive helper T cell responses, leading to asthma and atopic dermatitis.’

Allergy & Parasites can have a close inter relationship. There are many triggers that can set off an allergy. Allergy & Parasites is one of them

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