Food Allergies Linked to Norovirus

MILWAUKEEApproximately 7.6 million Americans have food allergies, and the incidence rate among children has grown 18% from 1997 to 2007; however, a new study published in the Open Immunology Journal suggests a link between food allergies and the norovirus.

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin took mice infected with norovirus and fed them egg protein. They then examined the mice for signs of an immunoglobulin E, or IgE, response against the food protein; an IgE response is what leads to an allergic reaction. The researchers previously showed an IgE response to an inhaled protein during a respiratory infection in another a mouse model, which suggests early respiratory infections in children could lead to allergic diseases like asthma later in childhood. Likewise, an IgE response to a gastrointestinal virus could signify a likelihood of developing a food allergy after the viral infection.

Food allergies are a dangerous, costly health issue not only in the United States, but worldwide," said lead researcher Mitchell Grayson. This study provides additional support for the idea that allergic disease may be related to an antiviral immune response, and further studies are planned to continue exploring the exact series of events that connect the antiviral response with allergic diseases."