Occupational asthma due to cricket powder in a cricket breeder

Allergy to crickets is uncommon and usually reported from workers who breed, manufacture, or consume them as food for either pets or for themselves. Although there are several reports of hypersensitivity reactions to crickets in other countries, there has been few published reports in this country. Here we report a case of a 20-year-old Korean male who had been exposed for a year in his workplace and developed occupational asthma and rhinitis sensitized to Gryllus bimaculatus (GB). The patient developed respiratory and cutaneous symptoms whenever he was exposed to or came into contact with GBs or dust from the cage storing the GBs. To identify the causative allergen in his workplace, soluble GB extracts were prepared with phosphate-buffered saline and was used for skin prick test (SPT) and immunologic studies. The patient showed positive results to GB extracts as well as to house dust mite (HDM) on SPT, while negative responses were noted in 3 unexposed controls. Higher level of serum GB-specific IgE by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was noted in the patient compared to those of 18 unexposed controls. The IgE-ELISA Inhibition test showed significant inhibitions with serial additions of GB extracts without any inhibitions with HDM extracts. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and IgE-immunoblot analysis demonstrated several IgE binding components (range, 60-75 kDa). The patient was asked to avoid cricket exposure, and symptoms improved with the application of inhaled corticosteroids. Herein, we report a case of occupational asthma and rhinitis due to GB in an exposed worker. (Allergy Asthma Respir Dis 2024;12:35-39)