Therapy offers hope for some kiwifruit allergy sufferers

Therapy may help some people who suffer from a kiwifruit allergy.

Auckland allergy specialist Dr Vincent St Aubyn Crump said he offered patients with the kiwifruit allergy a programme to desensitise them to birch.

Dr Crump, of the Auckland Allergy Clinic, said all his patients with kiwifruit allergy were also allergic to birch pollen.

After immunotherapy to birch there was evidence of improvement in the kiwifruit allergy.

"Often these patients with kiwi allergy are allergic to apple and hazelnut as well," said Dr Crump.

About half the patients he sees who are allergic to kiwifruit suffer a systemic reaction, known as anaphylaxis.

"Most of these will get oral allergy syndrome, itching and swelling in the mouth and throat," said Dr Crump.

"A few patients allergic to kiwifruit also tested positive to a latex allergy, but only one of my patients had clinical symptoms of a latex allergy," according to Dr Crump, a consultant physician specialising in allergies since 1994.

Allergy NZ recommends that infants under 12 months should not be fed kiwifruit.

- NZPA