Exposure to pets and risk of sensitisation to house dust mite cat and dog allergens in a pre school children population of an Andalusian seaside town
An increase in the prevalence of asthma, rhinitis and eczema as paradigms of atopic diseases in children has been well documented. In Spain, the prevalence of asthma and rhinitis has also increased, especially among small children, during the last decades. Many studies have tried to establish a relationship between different environmental exposures in the first year of life and the risk of developing allergic disease both in children and in adults. Only a few studies have tried to identify a relationship between environmental exposure and the risk of sensitisation, with no consistent results. The aim of this study is to establish a possible relationship between pet keeping during the first year of life and the risk of sensitisation to house dust mite, cat and dog allergens in preschool children. Children aged 4 and 5 years attending public schools in Estepona (Malaga, Spain) were invited to join the study during the school years 2006 2007 and 2008 2009. Participation varied widely among centers from 25% to 100% Parents of the participants answered a questionnaire modelled on the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) format, validated for the Spanish population, and slightly modified to avoid the questions related to the progression of allergic diseases. The study was approved by the local and regional educational authority, and written consent was obtained from all parents. Skin prick tests were performed using the method described by the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, cat dander and dog dander were tested. Statistical analyses were performed using PASW Statistics 18 (formerly SPSS)(c) 2009 SPSS Iberica, IBM Company] Numerical variables were expressed as medians and Table 1 Socio demographic characteristics of subjects participating.