Childhood allergy rates have hit "epidemic proportions" in
Australia, prompting health experts to broaden their efforts
to combat the mysterious condition.
Canberra-based allergy expert Dr Ray Mullins said 15,000
Australian children born this year would develop a
potentially fatal food allergy before they reached school
age.
Food allergies - particularly allergies to peanuts and tree
nuts - were a growing problem with no known cause, and they
now affected up to 6% of children aged under 3.
"This translates to 65,000 little kids," Dr Mullins said.
"It's a public health problem of epidemic proportions."
Dr Mullins, president of the Australian Society of Clinical
Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), points to a West
Australia-based study that found about 80% of schools had at
least one student at risk of a severe allergic reaction to
food - anaphylaxis.
Dr Mullins said there were "lots of theories" about what was
driving the nation's rising incidence of food allergy in
children.
"Lots of work is being done to find reasons for the increase,
and ways to intervene," he said.
ASCIA has launched a free online food allergy training course
targeted at carers.
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