Epidemiology of rare allergic diseases in children

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Allergic diseases exhibit diverse prevalence rates globally.
• Common allergic conditions include allergic rhinitis (approx. 20%) and asthma (approx. 10%).
• Food allergy affects 1%-4% of the population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the varying frequencies of allergic diseases.
• To emphasize the need for recognizing and cataloging extremely rare allergic diseases.
• To discuss the current inclusion of rare allergic diseases in Orphanet.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of epidemiological data on allergic disease frequencies.
• Review of existing rare disease classifications and databases (e.g., Orphanet).

Main Results:

• Established prevalence rates for common allergic diseases.
• Identified a category of rare allergic diseases with a prevalence of 5 per 10,000 people.
• Highlighted the existence of extremely rare allergic diseases not yet cataloged.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in the prevalence of allergic diseases.
• Further research and recognition are needed for extremely rare allergic conditions.
• Inclusion in registries like Orphanet is crucial for rare disease acknowledgment.