Oral mite anaphylaxis (OMA), also known as pancake syndrome, is a

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

in which a person gets symptoms after eating food contaminated with particular

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear e ...

s. The disease name comes from reports of people becoming ill after eating

pancakes A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying w ...

made from contaminated wheat or corn (maize) flour.

Symptoms and signs

The symptoms are allergic symptoms, especially trouble breathing, swelling of the face and throat, runny nose, cough, difficulty swallowing, and wheals. Anaphylaxis can occur during exposure to NSAID drugs or exercise in people exposed to the mites.

Cause

Dust mites House dust mites (HDM, or simply dust mites) are various species of acariform mites belonging to the family Pyroglyphidae that are found in association with dust in dwellings. They are known for causing allergies. Biology Species The curren ...

are microscopic arachnids that produce very powerful allergens. If dust mites get into the food, then anyone eating the food is eating the allergens and may have an allergic reaction against them. The specific mites suspected as causing the condition are ''

Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus House dust mites (HDM, or simply dust mites) are various species of Acariformes, acariform mites belonging to the family Pyroglyphidae that are found in association with dust in dwellings. They are known for causing dust mite allergy, allergies. ...

'', ''

Blomia tropicalis Blomia may refer to: * '' Blomia (mite)'', a genus of mites in the family Echimyopodidae * '' Blomia (plant)'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae {{Genus disambiguation ...

'', and '' Suidasia pontifica'' (Suidasia medanensis). The latter two are the most likely to have caused the harmful effects, and they live in tropical and subtropical environments. Because the condition is triggered by eating pancakes and other cooked food, scientists expect that this means that the allergen can withstand the heat of cooking.

Prevention

Storing flour at low temperature, such as in a freezer, could prevent contamination or kill existing mites in the flour.

Symptoms and signs

Cause

Prevention

References

Further reading