Abstract
Occupational skin diseases are reported only in single beekeepers.
Principally beekeepers are at high risk for the development of immediate-type allergy to bee venom; sensitization prevalence is in the range of 30–60%.
In some cases, IgE-mediated allergy was reported against honey, pollens, royal jelly, mold fungi, and bee body allergens.
Important contact allergens are propolis, beeswax, royal jelly, and essential oils.
Potential irritants are chemicals used for the treatment of bee infections with parasitic mites and mold fungi.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
References
Aguiar R, Duarte FC, Mendes A, Bartolomé B, Barbosa MP (2017) Anaphylaxis caused by honey: a case report. Asia Pac Allergy 7:48–50
Asero R, Mistrello G, Roncarolo D, Amato S (2008) Respiratory and skin allergy to Galleria mellonella (bee moth). Int Arch Allergy Immunol 145:340–342
Athanasiadis GI, Pfab F, Klein A, Braun-Falco M, Ring J, Ollert M (2007) Erythema multiforme due to contact with laurel oil. Contact Dermatitis 57:116–118
Blank S, Etzold S, Darsow U, Schiener M, Eberlein B, Russkamp D, Wolf S, Graessel A, Biedermann T, Ollert M, Schmidt-Weber CB (2017) Component-resolved evaluation of the content of major allergens in therapeutic extracts for specific immunotherapy of honeybee venom allergy. Hum Vaccin Immunother 11:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2017.1323603. [Epub ahead of print]
Bonifazi F, Jutel M, Biló BM, Birnbaum J, Muller U, EAACI Interest Group on Insect Venom Hypersensitivity (2005) Prevention and treatment of hymenoptera venom allergy: guidelines for clinical practice. Allergy 60(12):1459–1470
Bousquet J, Coulomb Y, Robinet-Levy M, Michel FB (1982) Clinical and immunological surveys in beekeepers. Clin Allergy 12:331–342
Bousquet J, Müller UR, Dreborg S, Jarisch R, Malling HJ, Mosbech H, Urbanek R, Youlten L (1987) Immunotherapy with Hymenoptera venoms. Position paper of the working group on immunotherapy of the European academy of allergy and clinical immunology. Allergy 42:401–413
Cifuentes L (2015) Allergy to honeybee ... not only stings. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 15:364–368
Damiani N, Gende LB, Bailac P, Marcangeli JA, Eguaras MJ (2009) Acaricidal and insecticidal activity of essential oils on Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) and Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Parasitol Res 106:145–152
Eich-Wanger C, Müller UR (1998) Bee sting allergy in beekeepers. Clin Exp Allergy 28:1292–8
Frick M, Fischer J, Helbling A, Ruëff F, Wieczorek D, Ollert M, Pfützner W, Müller S, Huss-Marp J, Dorn B, Biedermann T, Lidholm J, Ruecker G, Bantleon F, Miehe M, Spillner E, Jakob T (2016) Predominant Api m 10 sensitization as risk factor for treatment failure in honey bee venom immunotherapy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 138:1663–1671
Fuiano N, Incorvaia C, Riario-Sforza GG, Casino G (2006) Anaphylaxis to honey in pollinosis to mugwort: a case report. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol 38:364–365
Giusti F, Miglietta R, Pepe P et al (2004) Sensitization to propolis in 1255 children undergoing patch testing. Contact Dermatitis 51:255–258
Gómez Torrijos E, Méndez Diaz Y, Borja Segade JM, Feo Brito JF, Alfaya Arias T, Galindo Bonilla PA, Ledesma Fernandez A, García Rodríguez R (2016) Occupational allergic respiratory disease due to royal jelly. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 117:102–103
Gulbahar O, Ozturk G, Erdem N, Kazandi AC, Kokuludag A (2005) Psoriasiform contact dermatitis due to propolis in a beekeeper. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 94:509–511
Hagvall L, Sköld M, Bråred-Christensson J, Börje A, Karlberg AT (2008) Lavender oil lacks natural protection against autoxidation, forming strong contact allergens on air exposure. Contact Dermatitis 59:143–150
Hausen BM (2005) Evaluation of the main contact allergens in propolis (1995 to 2005). Dermatitis 16:127–129
Hausen BM, Evers P, Stuwe HT et al (1992) Propolis allergy (IV). Studies with further sensitizers from propolis and constituents common to propolis, poplar buds and balsam of Peru. Contact Dermatitis 26:34–44
Helbling A, Peter C, Berchtold E, Bogdanov S, Müller U (1992) Allergy to honey: relation to pollen and honey bee allergy. Allergy 47:41–49
Hellner M, Winter D, von Georgi R, Münstedt K (2008) Apitherapy: usage and experience in German beekeepers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 5:475–479
Katayama M, Aoki M, Kawana S (2008) Case of anaphylaxis caused by ingestion of royal jelly. J Dermatol 35:222–224
Katayama M, Inomata N, Inagawa N, Fukuro S, Aihara M (2016) A case of contact urticaria syndrome stage 3 after honey ingestion, induced by epicutaneous sensitization during skin care with honey. Contact Dermatitis 74:189–191
Leung R, Ho A, Chan J, Choy D, Lai CK (1997) Royal jelly consumption and hypersensitivity in the community. Clin Exp Allergy 27:333–336
Li LS, Guan K (2016) Occupational asthma caused by inhalable royal jelly and its cross-reactivity with honeybee venom. Chin Med J 129:2888–2889
Lombardi C, Senna GE, Gatti B, Feligioni M, Riva G, Bonadonna P, Dama AR, Canonica GW, Passalacqua G (1998) Allergic reactions to honey and royal jelly and their relationship with sensitization to compositae. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 26:288–290
Lorenzi S, Placucci F, Vincenzi C, Bardazzi F, Tosti A (1995) Allergic contact dermatitis due to thymol. Contact Dermatitis 33:439–440
Matos D, Serrano P, Menezes Brandão F (2015) A case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by propolis-enriched honey. Contact Dermatitis 72:59–60
Mueller U, Mosbech H (1993) Position paper. Immunotherapy with Hymenoptera venoms. EAACI. Allergy 48:36–46
Müller UR (2005) Bee venom allergy in beekeepers and their family members. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 5:343–347
Münstedt K, Hellner M, Hackethal A, Winter D, von Georgi R (2007) Contact allergy to propolis in beekeepers. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 35:95–100
Nyman G, Hagvall L (2016) A case of allergic contact cheilitis caused by propolis and honey. Contact Dermatitis 74:186–187
Ollert M, Blank S (2015) Anaphylaxis to insect venom allergens: role of molecular diagnostics. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 15:26
Przybilla B, Ruëff F (2010) Hymenoptera venom allergy. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 8:114–127
Przybilla B, Ruëff F, Fuchs T, Pfeiffer C, Rakoski J, Stolz W, Vieluf D (2004) Insektengiftallergie. Allergo J 13:186–190. http://www.uni-duesseldorf.de/AWMF/ll/061-020.htm
Rajpara S, Wilkinson MS, King CM, Gawkrodger DJ, English JS, Statham BN, Green C, Sansom JE, Chowdhury MM, Horne HL, Ormerod AD (2009) The importance of propolis in patch testing–a multicentre survey. Contact Dermatitis 61:287–290
Rosmilah M, Shahnaz M, Patel G, Lock J, Rahman D, Masita A, Noormalin A (2008) Characterization of major allergens of royal jelly Apis mellifera. Trop Biomed 25:243–251
Rudeschko O, Machnik A, Dörfelt H, Kaatz HH, Schlott B, Kinne RW (2004) A novel inhalation allergen present in the working environment of beekeepers. Allergy 59:332–337
Sammataro D, Gerson U, Needham G (2000) Parasitic mites of honey bees: life history, implications, and impact. Annu Rev Entomol 45:519–548
Schaller M, Korting HC (1995) Allergic airborne contact dermatitis from essential oils used in aromatherapy. Clin Exp Dermatol 20:143–145
Sugiura M, Hayakawa R, Kato Y, Sugiura K, Hashimoto R (2000) Results of patch testing with lavender oil in Japan. Contact Dermatitis 43:157–160
Takahashi M, Matsuo I, Ohkido M (1983) Contact dermatitis due to honeybee royal jelly. Contact Dermatitis 9:452–455
Van Engelsdorp D, Underwood RM, Cox-Foster DL (2008) Short-term fumigation of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies with formic and acetic acids for the control of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae). J Econ Entomol 101:256–264
Villalta D, Martelli P, Mistrello G, Roncarolo D, Zanoni D (2004) Bee moth (Galleria mellonella) allergic reactions are caused by several thermolabile antigens. Allergy 59:1002–1005
Walgrave SE, Warshaw EM, Glesne LA (2005) Allergic contact dermatitis from propolis. Dermatitis 16: 209–215
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
Brehler, R. (2018). Beekeepers. In: John, S., Johansen, J., Rustemeyer, T., Elsner, P., Maibach, H. (eds) Kanerva’s Occupational Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40221-5_126-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40221-5_126-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-40221-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-40221-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine