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Soaps, cleaners clean off peanut allergy trigger

Most soaps and cleaners can remove tiny traces of peanut residue that can trigger an allergic attack, new research shows.

American researchers tested how well handwashing with liquid soap, bar soap or commercial wipes removed traces of Ara h 1, the main peanut allergen or trigger.

Scientists applied a teaspoon of peanut butter to the hands of 19 peanut allergy-free adult volunteers.

The wipes and soap removed the allergen but water left residue on three out of 12 hands and hand sanitizer left traces on six out of 12 hands.

The amount left on hands after using the antibacterial gel might be able to cause a reaction, said Dr. Robert Wood, a pediatric allergist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore and the study's senior author.

Although it may be more convenient to use hand sanitizers than sending students to a sink, use of the sanitizer "may not really remove the allergen, but just spread it around," Wood said in a release.

Dishwashing soap left residue on four of 12 tabletops. Woods said dish soap may create a film that is difficult to clean underneath, but even if a child licked the table, he or she probably couldn't get enough to cause a reaction.

His team also found common household cleaners appeared to remove traces of allergen from tabletops at six schools and preschools in the Baltimore area. Desks were also clean.

Traces of allergen were found on one of 13 water fountains.

In experiments designed to simulate school cafeterias, sporting events and airplanes, the researchers asked the volunteers to eat peanut butter sandwiches, shelled peanuts and unshelled peanuts.

No signs of the allergen were found in the air after the snacks, although Wood noted the measuring techniques may not have been sensitive enough.

The study appears in the May issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Posted by thinkum at May 11, 2004 04:50 PM