Gum Arabic as a Cause of Occupational Allergy

Table 1

Patients of the candy factory examined for suspected occupational disease.

Patient sex/age years	Years in candy factory	Duration of symptoms	Symptoms	Diagnosis
F/41	8	6 months	Hives	Chronic nonoccupational urticaria
M/31	10	2.5 years	Hives	Work associated urticaria (carmine and house dust mites positive in skin prick tests)
F/32	8	2 months	Hives	Chronic non-occupational urticaria
F/50	16	9 months	Papular erythema of the hands	Occupational allergic eczema from rubber gloves
F/36	15	1.5 years	Dyspnoea, rhinitis, eye symptoms, hives	Occupational asthma, rhinitis and urticaria from gum arabic
F/54	10	6 years	Dyspnoea, rhinitis, eye symptoms, redness of the skin	Occupational asthma from gum arabic
F/43	13	3 years	Dyspnoea, rhinitis, eye symptoms, itching of the skin	Occupational asthma and urticaria from gum arabic
F/52	21	10 years	Dyspnoea, rhinitis, eye symptoms, hives	Occupational asthma from gum arabic
F/45	Unknown	2 months	Dyspnoea and cough	Laryngitis (non-occupational)
F/35	Unknown	4 months	Dyspnoea and cough	Allergic non-occupational asthma
F/38	10	3 years	Nasal congestion and secretion	Rhinitis (non-occupational)