Assessment of serum allergenspecific IgE levels in horses from Siedlce County, Poland (original) (raw)

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of different allergies in horses from central Poland. Allergic diseases are common in horses all over the world. Common conditions that have been associated with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy in horses include insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), urticaria and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). A variety of serological assays are available to measure serum levels of allergen-specific IgE antibodies. They can provide supportive evidence for a diagnosis of equine allergic dermatitis associated with environmental allergens. This study was performed on clinically healthy, Polish noble half-breed horses. In this study, four groups of allergens were identified as commonly inducing allergic reactions: American house dust mites (D. farinae), cultivated plants (rape), English plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and biting midges (Culicoides nubeculosus). More than 50% of horses showed positive reactions to these groups of aller...