NIAID-Statement of S. Fauci, M.D., and Rotrosen, M.D. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, on Food Allergy Awareness Week 2010

[Guest guest]

Really,  Did they bother to think that maybe they are not allergic to these

foods but what is in on on them?   Like pesticides, mycotoxins, anti-biotics,

hormones.  Just to name a few.    Wouldn't it be easier to just clean up the

food??

 

Statement of S. Fauci, M.D., and Rotrosen, M.D. National

Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, on

Food Allergy Awareness Week 2010

http://www.nih. gov/news/ health/may2010/ niaid-03. htm

 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the lead

institute at the National Institutes of Health for food allergy research, is

pleased to commemorate Food Allergy Awareness Week from May 9–15, 2010. First

established in 1997 by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), a

patient and family advocacy organization, this week is set aside each year to

focus public attention on this growing health problem. FAAN’s theme for this

year, Respect Every Bite, reminds us of the daily threat faced by people with

food allergy, as exposure to even trace amounts of allergenic foods can cause

allergic symptoms.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that food allergy

affects nearly 4 percent of adults and teens and 5 percent of children under the

age of 6 years. A recent report by the CDC indicates that the number of people

diagnosed with food allergy increased by 18 percent over the last decade, and

this highlights the need to help those affected by this disease.

 

People with food allergy may experience a range of reactions, from mild to

severe, after being exposed to foods to which they are allergic. The most severe

reaction, called anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening. Each year an estimated

15,000 to 30,000 episodes of food-induced anaphylaxis occur in the United

States. The eight most common allergenic foods in the United States are eggs,

milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, Crustacean shellfish and fish. Currently,

there is no way to prevent food allergies or to cure them once they develop. The

only protection is to avoid the allergenic food. Even then, accidental exposures

do occur, adding to the stress already felt by allergic individuals and their

families. There is a tremendous need for strategies that prevent the development

of food allergy and for improved ways to diagnose and manage the disease.

 

NIAID supports clinical trials investigating how to change the body’s immune

response so that it does not trigger an allergic reaction to food. One approach

under investigation by NIAID's Consortium of Food Allergy Research is oral

immunotherapy. People enrolled in these trials consume gradually increasing

amounts of the food allergen. The goal is to reduce the immune response to the

food, thus increasing an individual’s ability to tolerate larger amounts of

the

food. Preliminary results from two oral immunotherapy studies — one treating

egg

allergy and the other peanut allergy — are promising. In both studies oral

immunotherapy enabled some of the children who previously could not eat any

foods containing egg or peanut without experiencing an allergic reaction, to eat

these foods. Because oral immunotherapy can cause a severe allergic reaction, it

should only be performed by a trained health professional. Individuals should

not try this on their own.

 

We also support basic and preclinical research in allergy and immunology,

including studies that provide a better understanding of the immune system and

how food elicits an allergic reaction. In partnership with FAAN and the Food

Allergy Initiative, another constituent group, NIAID sponsors exploratory grants

in food allergy research to stimulate high-impact, innovative research studies,

and to encourage participation of investigators new to the field of food allergy

research. This successful program was renewed this year.

 

This year also marks a significant milestone in food allergy clinical

practice. Although food allergy represents a significant public health burden in

the United States, no standard clinical recommendations were available to aid

health care professionals in diagnosing, treating or managing patients with

known or suspected food allergy. Recognizing the need to create such guidelines,

NIAID has worked with more than 30 professional organizations, federal agencies

and advocacy groups to develop draft Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management

of Food Allergy. In March of 2010, these draft guidelines were made available

for public review and comment (see http://www.niaid. nih.gov/topics/

foodallergy/ clinical/ Pages/default. aspx).

We expect to release the final guidelines in the fall of 2010.

 

We are committed to supporting research to help better understand, prevent

and manage food allergies. Through these research efforts, NIAID-funded

scientists and clinicians are making significant progress in combating this

serious disease that affects millions of children and adults.

 

Dr. Fauci is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, land. Dr.

Rotrosen is director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation

at NIAID.

 

For more information on food allergy visit NIAID’s Food Allergy Web site

(http://www.niaid. nih.gov/topics/ foodAllergy/).

NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States,

and

worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases,

and

to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses.

News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on

the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid. nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research

Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for

conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,

and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare

diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.