Effect of airborne allergens on emergency visits by children for conjunctivitis and rhinitis

The effect of fungal spores and pollen grains on morbidity from childhood conjunctivitis and rhinitis is mostly unknown. We therefore studied the association between daily concentrations of these airborne allergens and daily emergency visits to a childrenʹs hospital between 1993 and 1997. An increase of 551 basidiomycetes spores per m3, or of 72 ragweed grains per m3, was associated with an increase of about 10% in visits for conjunctivitis and rhinitis (p<0.01). Our results suggest that conjunctivitis and rhinitis could be caused by fungal spores and pollens in the air.