What Are the Causes of Shellfish Allergy?
As more people across the world consume more seafood, shellfish allergies have significantly increased in the last few decades. Allergic reactions can happen when people touch or eat shellfish or breathe in vapors from cooking shellfish. Workers in shellfish-processing plants are also at risk for developing shellfish allergies, reports Dr. A.L. Lopata in the April 2010 issue of “Clinical and Experimental Allergy.” Reactions to shellfish can cause symptoms ranging from mild sensitivity to a fatal systemic reaction. There are two major groups of shellfish, each containing different proteins that can elicit allergic reactions: crustaceans and mollusks.
