Fish: the family concept is irrelevant when it comes to fish, because all the fish in the main group eaten (the bony fish) share a special type of protein known as a parvalbumin. The paralbumins are known to provoke allergic reactions, and they probably account for the fact that many people are sensitive to all the types of fish they have tried. It is uncertain whether paralbumins are found in the other main group of fish, the sharks, rays, skates and dogfish (cartilaginous fish). The two groups are only very distantly related, and it is possible that people sensitive to bony fish could tolerate cartilaginous fish.
Crustaceans, Phylum Crustacea:
crab, lobster, crayfish, shrimp, prawn. A very large group, including many different families. Many patients react to all forms of Crustacea, so the family concept does not seem relevant here. There may be.some common allergen in all of them, as in fish. Also see the section on unexpected reactions, below.
Molluscs, Phylum Mollusca:
mussels, cockles, winkles, oysters, clams, scallops, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, snails (escargots). Again, this is a very broad group, but the family concept does not seem to be relevant here, because people who are sensitive to one type are usually sensitive to them all.
*391\180\8*
Leave a Comment