Peanut allergy in China

Tuesday, 07 September 2010 09:01

Although peanuts are consumed at similar levels in the USA and China, the rate of peanut allergy is generally regarded as being much lower in China. A research group have recently investigated why peanut allergy is becoming much more prevalent in this region.

Hong Kong is one of the most Westernised cities of China, and the prevalence in atopic disorders such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic eczema are comparable with most developed countries. Despite this, peanut allergy has only recently become significant.

A recent survey found 0.52%–0.65% of preschoolers in Hong Kong have peanut allergy. The authors of the current study speculate the increasing prevalence of the condition may be due to changes in diet and culture over the past decades.

Reference: Ho et al. 2010. Archives of Disease in Childhood doi:10.1136/adc.2010.190637