[Wild silk: a strong inhalation allergen (author's transl)]

In the course of 18 months, allergic bronchial asthma due to wild silk was diagnosed in 26 patients (19 women, 7 men) of the relatively high mean age at onset of 34 years. In 25 patients the allergy started 1-36 months after acquiring a so-called wild-silk rug, which contains wild-silk waste; one patient fell ill after occupational contact with the waste of wild silk. In all patients the scratch test with wild-silk waste was strongly positive. Elimination of the rug or the occupational exposure made all the symptoms disappear. Wild-silk waste, product of wild-growing oak silkworms, is thus a relatively strong inhalation allergen. Exposure to wild-silk rugs should routinely be considered in the diagnostic work-up of allergies.