Abstract
This study aimed to identify the major aeroallergens and their prevalence in a population of patients living in a polluted oasis situated in the southwest of Tunisia. Of the 67 patients studied, only 39 were sensitive to allergens (58.20%), 23 of whom were sensitive to more than one type of allergen (58.97%). The most common aeroallergens were tree and grass pollen (32.96%), followed by animal dander (19.78%), mites (17.58%), herbaceous pollen (12.08%), mould (6.59%), latex (6.59%) and cockroaches (4.39%). The seasonal distribution of allergens shows that the frequency of respiratory allergy was mainly observed during spring corresponding to the pollination season. However, the detection of some seasonal allergens, such as olive pollen, outside the pollination season can be explained by the cross-reactivity between allergens. The age range of patients with sensitivity was found to be between 10 and 73 years, with the most sensitive patients aged between 20 and 50 years. The sex variable was significantly associated with the studied allergens since sensitization was present more frequently in women than in men.