# Locust allergy?



## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

Hi all, 
Recently I have just had a really bad case of conjunctivitis, I could barley see, and I've started to develop a wheezy cough (I thought I was asthma?) Today however when I was getting a locust from the feeder tank it jumped onto my hand and scuttled a little way up my arm. 

Wherever a foot touched my skin I have a large itchy raised red lump, there's about 6 altogether. So this got me thinking, I've googled a little bit and read that people who keep colonies of insects can become sensitive to them and I must have between 100-150 locust in an old exo-terra.

I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and what they have done about it?


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

I've never had this problem myself but strangely I was talking to someone about it just this weekend. 

He was telling me how a colleaugue of his is a world renowned expert in locust research who's just recently developed an allergy towards them! :lol2:

She works on the same campus as me so if I bump into her i'll ask her. However, you're correct in the fact that this allergy only develops in people who've been regularly exposed to large colonies of locusts.

It got me a bit worried as I keep hundreds of them! :gasp:


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## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

Wow that's incredibly unfortunate isn't it? Time for a career change then eh? But seriously addition information on this would be quite interesting (if there is anything else to it). 

I know what you mean though, I had at least 150 large adult locust in my bedroom up until yesterday, I've got rid of them and the change is unreal in one day. I thought I was allergic to something but I thought it was that antibacterial hand wash? Guess not...

But it's strange, you think you would get more of an immunity to it being around them more? Guess it's gloves and mask next time I feed the beardie...


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## antcherry88 (Mar 28, 2011)

Here's something I found from a quick google search. I don't have access to the full journal but you get the idea. IgE antibodies are only found in mammals and are one of many factors which can provoke an unecessary immune response i.e. an allergic reaction. From other places Ive read it's a major problem in Africa where they have locust plagues and many people die as a result of it.



R D Tee, D J Gordon, E R Hawkins, A J Nunn, J Lacey, K M Venables, R J Cooter, A R McCaffery, and A J Newman Taylor (1988) 
*Occupational allergy to locusts: an investigation of the sources of the allergen.*

J Allergy Clin Immunol, 81(3):517-25.


Abstract

Allergic symptoms occur commonly in subjects working closely with locusts and are associated with specific IgE antibody. Extracts of intact locusts (Schistocerca gregaria and Locusta migratoria) were used to identify specific IgE antibody, todefine the major allergens of the locust and their sources, and to estimate aeroallergen concentration in the working environment. With questionnaire, skin prick tests, and specific IgE measurements, 35 individuals, working in a research center, were surveyed. Of the 15 currently exposed individuals, contact with locusts provoked asthma, rhinitis, and contact urticaria in five, rhinitis and urticaria in three, and rhinitis alone in one individual. Symptoms provoked by locusts and skin test reactions to locust extracts were associated with specificIgE antibody in the serum. The "immunoblot" technique demonstrated the presence of multiple allergens in the locust extracts of approximately 68, 66, 54, 43, 37, 29, and 18 K daltons molecular weight. Locust antigen was identified in the atmosphere by means of an immunochemical method involving elution of high-volumeair-sampler filters exposed in the locust breeding room and analysis of eluate allergen content by RAST-inhibition assays. Logit transformation of RAST-inhibition lines demonstrated that the filter extract shared a common slopewith the locust extract and with an extract of locust gut. This gut extract alsoshared a common slope with extracts of locust feces and peritrophic membrane. The major source of allergen appears to be the peritrophic membrane that is present in the gut and is excreted surrounding the feces.


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## selina20 (May 28, 2008)

Its the same with food allergies though. Its rare that you will get a reaction when you come into contact with something the 1st time. Its usually the 2nd time or more that you will react


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