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Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on April 1, 2009
Occupational Medicine 2009 59(4):243-248; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp041
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Occupational allergy to Artemia fish fry feed in aquaculture

Jens-Tore Granslo1, Thien Van Do2, Tor B. Aasen1, Ågot Irgens1 and Erik Florvaag1,2,3

1 Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
2 Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
3 Institute of Internal Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

Background Artemia (brine shrimp) is used as feed for fish fry and shrimp in aquaculture. Two employees in a Norwegian aquaculture research farm reported having chest symptoms when working in an Artemia hatch room.

Aims To determine the presence and prevalence of Artemia sensitization at the farm and the extent of any Artemia-related respiratory and hand skin symptoms and to identify the allergens involved.

Methods Participants completed a questionnaire and structured interview. Skin prick tests (SPTs) were performed, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to Artemia, shrimp and recombinant tropomyosin were determined. Gel electrophoresis and immunoblots of Artemia extracts were also carried out.

Results Thirty of 42 employees (71%) participated. Among the 24 subjects exposed to Artemia, four (17%) reported chest and/or hand skin symptoms during exposure and three of them were IgE sensitized to Artemia. Five (21%) of those exposed demonstrated IgE antibodies to Artemia and four (17%) had immediate-positive SPTs. A serum pool from these subjects exhibited IgE binding to a protein of ~97 kDa in the Artemia extract.

Conclusions Occupational exposure to the Artemia fish fry feed can cause IgE sensitization and allergic symptoms affecting airways and skin.

Keywords      Allergy; Artemia; IgE; occupational; 97 kDa

Correspondence to: Jens-Tore Granslo, Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway. Tel: +47 55973881; fax: +47 55975137; e-mail: jens-tore.granslo{at}helse-bergen.no


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