Introduction

In some regions of the world shrimp is the leading cause of food allergy, however, the specific clinical presentation of this allergy has rarely been analyzed.

Aim

To determine the prevalence and severity of shrimp allergy in adults.

Material and methods

This was a cross-sectional study performed on a sample of adults attending the outpatient department at a secondary-level hospital. In the first stage, participants were asked about the presence of allergic reactions after eating or drinking certain foods. The second stage involved individuals who reported having a shrimp allergy and were asked about their symptoms, time of onset after shrimp consumption, and other related factors.

Results

Among the 2,005 participants it was stated that 79 self-reported a shrimp allergy representing a prevalence of 3.9% (mean age: 39.8 years, 68.4% women). Within this group, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed shrimp-induced anaphylaxis was 10.1%, severe convincing shrimp allergy was 46.8%, and non-severe convincing shrimp allergy was 39.2%. Overall the prevalence of shrimp-induced anaphylaxis was 0.4%, severe convincing allergy was 1.8%, and non-severe convincing allergy was 1.5%.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence of the underdiagnosis of shrimp-induced anaphylaxis as reflected by the high number of individuals with severe convincing reactions consistent with anaphylactic episodes.