Long term keeping and venom allergies?

[Piraya1]

I don't quite know how to phrase the topic name but...

I heard of something like this before a long time ago but it may be rumour.

Is it possible that a person keeping venomous for many years may become allergic to being around the snakes and never having being bitten?

For example, the droplets of venom in an enclosure and on glass doors evaporating or so to speak?

And if an allergy is possible what sort of allergy would be predicted/expected unless it depends on the different specimens kept and from different families like from elapids to viperids?

Something that's had me thinking for a long long time but never asked anyone that can say that it is possible to be allergic to being in the same room.

[mad martin]

It is very possible to start developing allergic reactions to it.
Guys that keep spitters are most prone to it.
Bryan Fry actually wrote an article about it.

Anaphylaxis and the Venomous Keeper

[ViperLover]

What Martin said...

And venom researchers can develope allergies aswell because they are incontact with raw or processed venom every other day.

[SiUK]

thats a good article, its referenced in the back of B W Smith's book, interesting stuff. people working with powdered venon are prone to it as well I believe.

[HABU]

yes but isn't developing some allergy to hots just as rare as developing any allergy?

i mean loads of people have various allergies but they are a tiny minority when compared to the overall population right?

the odds of someone being prone to developing an allergy to say venom AND actually keeping hots too would be insanely tiny i would think...

for instance, there's nothing that i am allergic to and with that in mind, wouldn't it be pert near impossible for myself to develope an allergy to such things??

... wouldn't the possibilities for a typical human with no allergies be almost nil?

maybe someone with an allergy problem could be more likely to have an allergic reaction to venom or something since they are predisposed to allergies to begin with??

... or do i just need to drink some more coffee this morning...?

[SiUK]

Originally Posted by HABU

yes but isn't developing some allergy to hots just as rare as developing any allergy?

i mean loads of people have various allergies but they are a tiny minority when compared to the overall population right?

the odds of someone being prone to developing an allergy to say venom AND actually keeping hots too would be insanely tiny i would think...

for instance, there's nothing that i am allergic to and with that in mind, wouldn't it be pert near impossible for myself to develope an allergy to such things??

... wouldn't the possibilities for a typical human with no allergies be almost nil?

maybe someone with an allergy problem could be more likely to have an allergic reaction to venom or something since they are predisposed to allergies to begin with??

... or do i just need to drink some more coffee this morning...?

its venom that is dry and breathed in that people are more prone to develop allergies from and I dont think it is that uncommon for people that work day in day out with spitting cobras or dried venom, someone correct me if im wrong, but i do think it is pretty uncommon for your average snake keeper.

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by HABU

yes but isn't developing some allergy to hots just as rare as developing any allergy?

i mean loads of people have various allergies but they are a tiny minority when compared to the overall population right?

the odds of someone being prone to developing an allergy to say venom AND actually keeping hots too would be insanely tiny i would think...

for instance, there's nothing that i am allergic to and with that in mind, wouldn't it be pert near impossible for myself to develope an allergy to such things??

... wouldn't the possibilities for a typical human with no allergies be almost nil?

maybe someone with an allergy problem could be more likely to have an allergic reaction to venom or something since they are predisposed to allergies to begin with??

... or do i just need to drink some more coffee this morning...?

LOL - Drink more coffee, and then read the article. It should answer most of those questions and thoughts....I am halfway through and am facinated, and it has turnt me off of Horses for life!

[HABU]

Originally Posted by ViperLover

LOL - Drink more coffee, and then read the article. It should answer most of those questions and thoughts....I am halfway through and am facinated, and it has turnt me off of Horses for life!

roger that... it's brewing as we speak...

[ViperLover]

Originally Posted by SiUK

its venom that is dry and breathed in that people are more prone to develop allergies from and I dont think it is that uncommon for people that work day in day out with spitting cobras or dried venom, someone correct me if im wrong, but i do think it is pretty uncommon for your average snake keeper.

Surely it may depend on how much venom you're in contact with, and what Genera it is.

I would say if you take the right precautions, you should be OK.

[HABU]

well i was feral as a child and lived in the dirt... likely i was exposed to so much crap as a kid that my immune system is very developed...

those folks living in sheltered, sterile conditions seem to be the allergy prone ones...