Ranee Mueller wrote:
> In article . net>,
> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote:
>
> > Ranee Mueller wrote:
> >
> > > In article >,
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Picking nits here, but you don't "catch" an abolone. You
> > > > pry it off whatever it's clinging to. Put that aside and
> > > > YES it's a damn shame you're allergic!
> > >
> > > Yes, and yes. 
> >
> >
> > Is it just abalone alone you are allergic to? Some folks are allergic
to
> > certain categories of crustaceans or one particular one, I guess. My
dad
> > had a terrible reaction to oysters (almost killed him back in the
> > 50's)...it's a shame because oyster stew was a fave of his :-(
>
> I've never had any kind of reaction to any other shellfish. What are
> abalone related to most closely? I eat shrimp, crab, scallops, clams,
> mussels on a fairly regular basis. Are any of those closely related to
> abalone?
*Technically* to snails, I guess...here's some more info:
http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/abalone.htm
"Description
Abalones are members of a large class (Gastropoda) of molluscs having
one-piece shells. They belong to the family Haliotidae and the genus
Haliotis, which means sea ear, referring to the flattened shape of the
shell.
[...]
http://www.allergyclinic.co.nz/guides/51.html
Seafood Allergy
Article written: February 2003
Food anaphylaxis is now the leading single cause of anaphylactic reactions
treated in emergency departments in Westernised countries. In the US, it is
estimated that there are 29,000 anaphylactic reactions to foods treated in
emergency departments and 125-150 deaths each year.
Seafood (scaly fish, crustaceans and molluscs) is one of the most common
causes of food allergy. In adolescents and adults, peanuts, tree nuts, fish
and shellfish account for approximately 85% of true food allergies.
Higher prevalence of seafood allergy is found in the countries where seafood
is a staple part of the diet, like Scandinavian countries, Spain and Japan.
Seafood is potent allergens in sensitised individuals and cause
life-threatening adverse reactions that are usually life-long. Extreme
sensitivity to minute quantities of fish is occasionally noted, and even
exposure to fumes of fish being cooked is enough to precipitate reactions in
certain individuals.
The Mollusc group includes three different classes of seafood with species
such as Abalone, oysters, mussels, and squid (Calamari).
The second group, the Crustacean, includes the rock lobsters ("crayfish"),
prawns, crabs and shrimps; and the third important group of seafood includes
all the common edible fish, such as Hake, Cod, Snoek, etc. Cod is the most
frequently reported cause of fish allergy, but reactions to other fish such
as haddock, herring, sprat, halibut, plaice, mackerel, trout and salmon are
well recognised. Very often patients are only allergic to certain species
but are able to eat other seafood species without problems.
Fish Allergens and cross-reactivity
Identified seafood allergens belong to a group of muscle proteins, namely
the parvalbumins in codfish and tropomyosin in crustaceans. In addition,
there is strong immunological evidence that tropomyosin is a cross-reactive
allergen among crustaceans and molluscs.
In fish, the dominating allergen is the homologues of Gad c1 from cod,
formerly described as protein M. A close cross-reactivity exists within
different species of fish between this calcium-binding protein family,
denominated the parvalbumins. This cross-reactivity has been indicated to be
of clinical relevance for several species, since patients with a positive
double blind, placebo-controlled food challenge to cod will also react with
other fish species, such as herring, plaice and mackerel.
Shellfish cross-reactivity
In 16 atopic patients with shrimp allergy, greater than 80% had a positive
SPT responses to crab, crayfish, and lobster. In 11 patients with immediate
reactions to shrimp ingestion, the reaction rate to lobster, crab, and
crayfish was 50% to 100% per species. At the other end of the spectrum is a
report of several individuals with reactions to only particular species of
shrimp.
It has been estimated that if someone is allergic to a fish they have a 50%
chance of being allergic to at least one other fish, and if they are
allergic to a shellfish they have a 75% chance of being allergic to another
shellfish. There appears to be no cross-reaction between fish and shellfish,
but concomitant allergy is possible, so all fish allergic patients should be
tested for shellfish and vice versa."
[...]
--
Best
Greg