It’s World Allergy Week!
April 7, 2014, marks the first day of World Allergy Week, organized by the World Allergy Organization (WAO). This year’s theme,Anaphylaxis – When Allergies Can Be Severe and Fatal, addresses the growing problem of anaphylaxis—a potentially life-threatening allergic condition that involves several organ systems.
Anything from bee stings to medications can trigger anaphylaxis, but it is food allergies, particularly allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, milk or eggs, that appear to be the most common triggers. In 2010, a nationwide study found that about 2.5 million Canadians, or one in 13, suffer from a significant food allergy.
In Canada, AllerGen NCE investigator Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan is one of the driving forces behind the Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry, also known as C-CARE—the first registry in the world to track episodes of anaphylaxis as they are reported.
This unique database is helping Dr. Ben-Shoshan and a multidisciplinary research team, including AllerGen investigators Dr. Ann Clarke and Dr. Susan Waserman, to assess Canada’s rate of anaphylaxis, and monitor the triggers and management of the condition in emergency medical services, emergency departments and allergy clinics across the country.
To read about C-CARE research, click here.
For more information on World Allergy Week and to view the WAO press release, click here.