Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39945937›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental monitoring and assessment2025

Prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization in a polluted and industrialized area: a pilot study in South Africa's Vaal Triangle.

Dorra Gharbi, Frank Harald Neumann, Jurgens Staats, Marinda McDonald, Jo-Hanné Linde, Tshiamo Mmatladi, Keneilwe Podile, Stuart Piketh, Roelof Burger, Rebecca M Garland and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental monitoring and assessment, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Dorra GharbiInstitute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. dorra.gharbi@unibe.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3013-6876
Frank Harald NeumannUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3620-2742
Jurgens StaatsFaculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1314-0961
Marinda McDonaldThe Allergy Clinic, Blairgowrie, Gauteng, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5348-3849
Jo-Hanné LindeDepartment of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Tshiamo MmatladiUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Keneilwe PodileUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Stuart PikethUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2804-879X
Roelof BurgerUnit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4359-4588
Rebecca M GarlandDepartment of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1855-8622
Petra BesterAfrica Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8440-7638
Pedro Humberto LebreCentre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6483-0340
Cristian RicciAfrica Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4113-8682

Funding

Grand Challenges Canada ST-POC-2312-61906South African Medical Research Council ST-POC-2312-61906
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This pioneering study evaluates the prevalence of aeroallergens reactivity among atopic populations living in the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA), South Africa. A total of 138 volunteers (51 males and 87 females), of African, colored, white, and Asian ethnicity, and with a mean (range) age of 22 (18-56) years were participating in the study. The study was conducted on the North-West University (NWU) campus in Vanderbijlpark/VTAPA. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was utilized for pre-screening to identify individuals with probable allergic dispositions. Subsequently, skin prick testing was conducted using commercial aeroallergen extracts for all confirmed participants with allergy symptoms. One hundred six participants were clinically diagnosed with pollen and fungal spore allergies. The highest allergy prevalence was attributed to Cynodon dactylon ((L.) Pers) (Bermuda grass) (41.5%), followed by Lolium perenne (L.) (ryegrass), grass mix, and Zea mays (L.) (maize) (31.1%), respectively. Moreover, among the tree allergens, Olea (L.) (olive tree) was the most prevalent allergen (20; 18.8%), followed by Platanus (L.) (plane tree) (18; 16.9%). Among the weeds, 16 (15.1%) participants were allergic to the weed mix (Artemisia (L.) (wormwood), Chenopodium (Link) (goosefoot), Salsola (L.) (saltwort), Plantago (L.) (plantain), and 11 (10.3%) to Ambrosia (L.) (ragweed)). Regarding the fungal spores, Alternaria (Fr.) (9; 8.5%) followed by Cladosporium (Link) (5; 4.7%) had the highest skin sensitivity. In this pilot study, our findings provide insights into the prevalence of allergic responses in the study population-underlining the strong impact of allergens of exotic plants-and contribute to the existing aerobiological data in South Africa.

Indexed as

Air PollutantsAir PollutionAllergensEnvironmental ExposureHypersensitivityAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsPollenPrevalenceSkin TestsSouth AfricaAir PollutantsAllergensAllergensAllergic rhinitisFungalPollenPublic healthSkin prick testingSouth Africa

Identifiers

PMID39945937
PMCPMC11825541

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.