CREAL. Centre for research in environmental epidemiology

Asthma, an epidemic which came to stay

Monday, May 12th, 2014

On May 5th and on the occasion of the World Asthma Day Josep M Anto wrote an article in El Pais

Asthma is in many countries the most common pediatric disease and chronic diseases of highest impact on health

In 1983 the Lancet published a paper describing an epidemic of asthma in Barcelona. For a few hours tens of patients suffering severe asthma attack attended the emergency departments of several hospitals. These transient epidemics were repeated for several years to affect several thousand people and causing more than 10 deaths. It took an intense research effort to demonstrate that epidemics were caused by inhalation of soybean dust, emanating from the discharge of ships in the port of Barcelona. Installing filters on bins responsible in 1987 and an adequate system of environmental monitoring levels soy allergen in the air of Barcelona allowed eliminate these epidemics

See full article:

 elpais.com/elpais/2014/05/05/planeta_futuro/1399308337_768528.html