Occupational Allergy to Rat and Mouse in Research Laboratories

Occupational allergy to rat and mouse in laboratory animal facilities remains underdiagnosed and raises major concerns. This comprehensive review provides an overview of this allergy in literature and recent findings over the last decade. The prevalence of rat and mouse allergy among laboratory workers over the past ten years ranges from 4,4% to 30%. Recent studies about sensitization to laboratory rat and mouse focus on rodent epithelial proteins, whereas sensitization to urinary proteins are traditionally studied. Thanks to molecular biology, studies are now paying attention to the allergenic proteins involved in the clinical reaction, notably Rat n 1, Rat n 4, Mus m 1 and Mus m 4. Despite known preventive measures, the prevalence of rat and mouse allergy among LAW remains stable over the last decade compared to previous data ranging from 4,4% to 30%. Anaphylaxis remains rare, but surely underdiagnosed. Determination of specific IgE against the different allergenic sources of rats and mice is easy to carry out routinely: epithelial, urinary and blood serum. However, rat and mouse allergenic protein identification remains difficult in clinical routine. The advent of molecular biology, allergen immunotherapy and biologic therapy may perhaps lead to the development of personalized treatments in future.