Seafood allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from shellfish, scaly fish, or crustaceans, causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms for millions of people[1]. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that the majority of pediatric and adult food allergy patients have a seafood allergy[2]. It occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in children. It is usually treated with an exclusion diet and vigilant avoidance of foods that may be contaminated with shellfish or fish ingredients and/or oils. The most severe seafood allergy reaction is called anaphylaxis[3] and is an emergency requiring immediate attention and treatment with Epinephrine.
References
^ National Institutes of Health, NIAID Allergy Statistics 2005 http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/allergystat.htm
^ “Allergy Facts and Figures,” Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=20&cont=518
^ National Report of the Expert Panel on Food Allergy Research, NIH-NIAID 2003 http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dait/PDF/june30_2003.pdf
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