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Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol, (April 2016), Volume No. 14, Issue 01  
 
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Egypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2016 ; 14 ( 01 ) : 23 - 29
, ESP - 202  
Original articles
Prevalence of food sensitization and helminth infection among primary school children in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria
Ayodele A. Adelakun, MSc   Tomiwa W. Adeniji, BMLS   Olatunbosun G. Arinola, PhD        
BACKGROUND: Food allergy is a problem of the western world, however, cases of food allergy have also been found in developing countries. In Nigeria, the prevalence of food allergy is scarce while the association of food allergy with helminthiasis is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study was therefore designed to determine the prevalence of food allergy among Nigerian school children and to identify if association exists between prevalence of food allergy, gender and intestinal helminthiasis. METHOD: A total of 128 participants were recruited from CAC Primary School, Sango, Ibadan, Nigeria. Skin Prick Test using freshly prepared food allergens was carried out. Stool samples were collected from them to screen for ova of parasites using concentration method. RESULTS: A total of 26 (20.3%) out of 128 participants were positive for various food allergens, while 16 (12.5%) had helminthic infection. There was however an equal distribution of helminthic infection among students who were food allergen positive and negative. There was also no association between gender and susceptibility to food allergen. CONCLUSION: Food allergy is common in school children, and intestinal helminthiasis seems to have no influence on the prevalence of food allergy among school children.