An epidemiological investigation on nasal allergy in China

A comparison with Japan

Abstract

We conducted an epidemiological investigation on nasal allergy in China and Japan. A prevalence survery was done on nasal allergy in a total of 9651 young people: including 2590 cases in Lili Town, Wujiang City, Jiangsu, Nanjing Medical University and Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Seiences, China; and 7061 cases in Shiraoi-cho, Hokkaido, Kuriyama and Sendai, Japan. The prevalence of nasal allergy in China was lower than that in Japan. The differences in the prevalence of nasal allergy were thought to be due to an imbalance of social and economic development and not due to racial difference. Japanese remarkable economic development has led to a significant increase in nasal allergy in Japan. The positive rate of the scratch test and the prevalence of nasal allergy in China have also shown a recent tendency of increase due to its rapid economic development. It will be interest to see if the rate of nasal allergy in China continues to increase along with the progressive improvement in Chinese economic development.