Contact urticaria to giraffe hair

Background: Immediate-type hypersensitivity to animal proteins is a
common problem in people occupationally exposed to animals.
Methods: A 19-year-old female working as a voluntary zookeeper in
her off-time suffered from hives on her forearms following contact
to the fur of a giraffe. For diagnostic evaluation, skin prick
tests, assessment of specific serum IgE antibodies, and basophil
activation tests were performed. Results: Skin prick tests with a
standard series of common aeroallergens were positive for various
pollens. Prick testing with native materials was positive for
extracts of hair from two different giraffe subspecies in the
patient, but not in control subjects. By CAP-FEIA, no specific
serum IgE antibodies to dander of a large variety of animals were
found in the patient. In the basophil activation test, expression
of the activation marker CD63 was induced by extract of giraffe
hair on the cells from the patient, but not on those from
unaffected controls. Conclusions: This patient suffers from an
`exotic' immediate-type contact allergy to giraffe hair. Copyright
(C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.