Ambrosia (ragweed) pollen - A growing aeroallergen of concern in South Africa.

Autor:	Gharbi D; Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.; Allergy and Immunology Unit, Lung Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa., Berman D; Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.; Allergy and Immunology Unit, Lung Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa., Neumann FH; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa., Hill T; Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa., Sidla S; Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.; Allergy and Immunology Unit, Lung Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa., Cillers SS; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa., Staats J; Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa., Esterhuizen N; Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa., Ajikah L; Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa., Moseri ME; Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa., J Quick L; African Centre for Coastal Paleoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa., Hilmer E; African Centre for Coastal Paleoscience, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa., Van Aardt A; Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa., John J; Smart Place, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa., Garland R; Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa., Finch J; Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa., Hoek W; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gariep Mediclinic, Kimberley, South Africa., Bamford M; Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa., Seedat RY; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa., I Manjra A; Hiway Medical Centre, Westville Hospital, Durban, South Africa., Peter J; Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.; Allergy and Immunology Unit, Lung Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	The World Allergy Organization journal [World Allergy Organ J] 2024 Dec 02; Vol. 17 (12), pp. 101011. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 02 (Print Publication: 2024).
DOI:	10.1016/j.waojou.2024.101011
Abstrakt:	Background: Ragweed is an invasive, highly allergenic weed predicted to expand its habitat with warming global temperatures. Several Ambrosia species have been identified in South Africa for well over a century; however, its presence remained undetected by allergists and aerobiologists until the development of an extensive aerospora monitoring system across South African urban areas since 2019. This paper presents the inventory of preliminary investigation of the Ambrosia airborne pollen and the taxonomic identification of ragweed species. Methods: Burkard volumetric spore traps for collecting pollen samples are set up in 9 South African cities (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Kimberley, Durban, Potchefstroom, Ermelo, Bloemfontein, and Gqeberha). Light microscopic identification was combined with environmental DNA metabarcoding analysis to confirm the species level of airborne Ambrosia at selected monitoring stations. Ragweed sensitisation was examined in Cape Town between February 2019 and February 2024, using Allergy Xplorer (ALEX 2 ) multicomponent allergen array. Results: Ambrosia pollen was detected in 5 aerobiological monitoring stations over the sampling period (Durban, Kimberley, Pretoria, Potchefstroom, Johannesburg). Periods of 4 consistent pollination years were observed in Kimberley (min: 1; max: 16 p.g/m 3 ) and Durban (min: 26; max: 66 p.g/m 3 ). In Pretoria, ragweed pollen was detected for 2 years (2020-2021; 2022-2023) with average total annuals (5-17 p.g/m 3 ). A peak flowering period between March and April was observed in Potchefstroom, and several ragweed pollen peaks were present between the end of December and the beginning of May in Durban. The highest number of Ambrosia pollen grains was recorded in Potchefstroom, with 308 grains, and a maximum peak of 47 p.g/m 3 . eDNA metabarcoding confirmed the presence of Ambrosia artemisiifolia and A.trifida species. The overall prevalence of Ambrosia -sensitisation amongst 673 tests (age range 7-72 years) was 8.2% (55/673), with no significant difference in sensitisation patterns between age groups. Conclusion: Our study confirms the need to monitor the spread of ragweed, and an increasing awareness of Ambrosia as an allergen of concern in Southern Africa. Extension of aerobiological networks and testing for Ambrosia sensitisation across urban and rural sites will be required. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. (© 2024 The Authors.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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