Spring pollen and related allergies in southern Spain

Over the last 10 years, there has been an increase in pollen allergies throughout Europe; this trend is clearly reflected in this study carried out in Córdoba (southern Spain) over 7 consecutive years, which recorded important increases in the concentrations of certain pollen types of particular interest in this city, together with an increase in the number of patients with pollinosis visiting the Allergy Unit at Córdoba's Reina Sofía University Hospital. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether these two trends were related. Sampling was carried out from 1984 to 1990, using a Burkard spore trap placed at a height of approximately 15 m on a building situated in the city center. The trend towards an annual increase in the concentration of pollen grains was positive in all cases, although very slight for Quercus and very marked for Olea europaea. However, a different pattern of behavior was recorded with respect to the correlation between pollen concentration and cases of pollinosis, a correlation which varied according to taxa.