A life-saving treatment for insect sting allergy is virtually unknown to the majority of physicians in Europe, a new survey shows. 15 million people in the EU are at risk of suffering severe allergic reactions if stung by bees or wasps, but the disease is widely under-diagnosed and often inadequately treated The positive effect of allergy vaccination on bee and wasp venom allergy is unknown to 60% of European physicians, according to a new survey performed by ALK among 318 physicians from seven European countries. For children in particular, 97% of patients treated with ALK's allergy vaccines are protected if re-stung for up to 20 years after end of treatment*. According to the survey, more than 70% of doctors do not know this. “Wasp and bee allergy is widely under-diagnosed and therefore often not adequately treated. Patients should be referred to allergy specialists for evaluation of their allergy, because most patients with a history of systemic anaphylactic sting reaction develop systemic symptoms if stung again”, said Dr. Beatrice Bilò, Senior physician at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Ancona, Italy and chairman of the Insect Venom Hypersensitivity Interest Group in the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology. 15 million EU-citizens at risk Patients suffering from severe allergy to bee or wasp venom are constantly at risk of experiencing potentially life-threatening allergic reactions if stung by such insects. Epidemiological studies published in Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2008 report a prevalence of self-reported systemic anaphylactic reactions due to insect stings of around 3.5 % in some European countries. Thus, up to 15 million people in the EU bear a risk of developing a severe allergic reaction after being stung**. Such allergic reactions can be prevented by the use of venom immunotherapy with ALK's subcutaneous allergy vaccines, resulting in dramatically improved quality of life for the patients. Subcutaneous allergy vaccination is the only available treatment that prevents allergic reactions due to insect stings. The treatment is initiated in specialised clinics like that of Dr. Beatrice Bilò, in which patients are offered a possibility of reaching the maintenance protective dose in a few days or hours. Following this up-dosing phase, patients receive regular maintenance injections for at least 3-5 years. “Until the patient is protected against further severe reactions, patients should receive emergency kits for self-administration including an epinephrine auto-injector. In addition, we inform the patient about how to best avoid being stung”, Dr. Bilò said. For further information, please contact: Jacob Frische, Director, ALK Group Communications, (+45) 22 24 75 51 *Golden DB. et al. Outcomes of allergy to insect stings in children, with and without venom immunotherapy. NEJM 2004. 351; 668-74. **Bilò BM. et al. Epidemiology of insect-venom anaphylaxis. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 2008, 8:330-337.
Insect sting allergy undertreated in Europe - 15 million Europeans at risk
Insect sting allergy undertreated in Europe - 15 million Europeans at risk
October 30, 2008