Fish Allergy

Published by Dr José Costa at 15/12/2021

Although 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 is common, fortunately, it is not as common as other allergies.⁣

Its incidence varies from country to country, and around 40% of people with fish allergy had their first reaction when they were adults.⁣

In 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, less than 0.1% of children have a fish allergy.⁣

The protein causing most of the allergic reactions is called 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧, and it exists in the fish’s muscle.⁣
Some species will have other allergens, which might also lead to allergic reactions.⁣

𝐂𝐨𝐝 has been the primary source of studies and information regarding fish allergy.⁣

Though most fishes contain this protein, this 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 mean that an allergy to a fish will lead to an allergy to all fish.⁣

Expect to have cross-reactions between fish in the same family (see the tables I made) but to a lesser extent between fish from different groups.⁣
Studies show that, in this case, the cross-reactivity is moderate or small.⁣

Some main aspects to note are the following:⁣

𝐄𝐞𝐥 and 𝐜𝐨𝐝 likely cross-react⁣
𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐲 and 𝐜𝐨𝐝 cross-sensitivity is found in nearly 35% of children⁣
𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐲 has a high content of 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦, so some reactions might not be allergic⁣
𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 is used in medication, like in 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, but generally do not lead to a reaction in people who are allergic to fish⁣
Fish allergies typically are 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠⁣

There are cases in which an apparent allergic reaction to fish has normal investigations.⁣

In some cases, this might be due to the presence of a parasite called 𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬.⁣
Investigation for this parasite should be done through blood tests.⁣

Final note:⁣
Think of the fish in a 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬!