Fish sensitization in a group of allergic Egyptian children

Background: There are no published data on fish allergy in Egypt. Objective: We sought to screen for the frequency of fish sensitization in a group of atopic Egyptian infants and children in relation to their demographic and phenotypic data. Methods: We consecutively enrolled 87 allergic children; 1-15 years old (median 5.0 yr). The study measurements included clinical evaluation for the site and duration of allergy, possible precipitating factors, and family history of allergy as well as skin prick testing with a commercial fish extract, and serum fish specific and total IgE estimation. Results: Twelve subjects (13.8%) were sensitized to fish as evidenced by positive skin prick test (SPT) results; five (41.7%) of them gave a history suggestive of fish allergy compared to two (2.7%) of the non-sensitized children (p=0.00). The SPT results did not vary significantly with age, gender, family history of atopy, or serum total or fish specific IgE (SpIgE). Conclusion: Fish sensitization does not seem to be rare in atopic children in Egypt. It can be associated with any clinical form of allergy and the causal relationship needs meticulous evaluation. Wider scale population-based studies are needed to assess the prevalence of fish allergy and its clinical correlates in our country.