It happens... Bloodworm Allergy!

[Trish]

 

 

In the past few months I've been having a constant reaction on the skin between my fingers, bumps with extreme itching, sometimes my upper arm will itch and get red after I've been in the tanks.  I thought perhaps it was the "all in one" fertilizer. 

I've also been sneezing like a mad fiend and having to use my puffers more for shortness of breath during this same period. In the past I used long sleeved gloves, but since I'm not putting medication or Excel or Paraguard in the tanks, I go bare skinned... always washing my hands and arms at least 3 times after coming out.

Look what I've learned!  

I believe I'm one of a few that have an allergic reaction to FROZEN BLOODWORMS!

WARNING: Bloodworm Allergies Are Real for Some Fishkeepers

Bloodworm induced Anaphylaxis
 

Asthma progressed big time, sneezing, eyes are dry. These side effects lasted up to a week even with puffers. Guess I'd better start re evaluating wether it's worth feeding blood worms.

I don't physically touch the blood worms either, use a pipette or baster... it seems it's once they are in the water. I usually defrost 3 blocks of Hikari per tank, and feed liberally twice a week.   

UPDATE: I'm not feeding frozen blood worms anymore, there's enough information out there on allergic reaction to prove it isn't worth it.    " Once you're allergic to bloodworms, each reaction gets worse; best to get them out of your house."

What I experienced from bloodworms is not worth the risk to my health even with protection. So $25 worth of bloodworms went to the trash.  I'm a nurse by trade, and made the mistake of not reading the fine print!  Now a few months after water changes, I have no symptoms what so ever.  Back to using aquarium gloves as well, I'm preferring dry arms!   Hoping this information will help others that might experience an unknown reaction. 

****** Hikari warning. Handling frozen food that is derived from a a live animal can cause the same allergic reaction possible by handling the live animal itself. To avoid potential problems always throughly wash your hands immediately after use and before contacting your nose, eyes, and mouth. Avoid contact with open wounds. ********

 

 

 

 

 

[demicent]

Thanks for writing this!  I knew an allergic reaction was possible, but reading your first person account has really put it in perspective.

 

[Brandy]

Ah yeah, me too. It is beyond bad. My eyes swell shut, my nose runs, my throat itches--I am half a step off needing an epi-pen. 

[Betsy]

Word!!!  I am glad you figured out what was triggering all those symptoms...that sounds miserable!! ☹️

But also...dry arms sound kind of divine...I didn't know aquarium gloves were a thing!!

[tolstoy21]

I have the same allergy (and other fish allergies to things like tuna and salmon - can’t eat em without severely puking for hours on end). Luckily none of these allergies cause me distress breathing. That sounds worse and more frightening.

Right now my hands are chapped from the cold weather in the north east and the act of washing my hands after touching bloodworms actually gets the teeny tiny bit of bloodworm residue on my fingertips into my chapped skin and my hands itch like mad and turn red.

We had a thread on fish allergies a while back and quite a few people on this forum have severe to mild reactions to blood worms. 

So I feel your pain, quite literally.

Edited February 17, 2021 by tolstoy21

[Maggie]

Does this also apply to freeze-dried blood worms? I have read this about the frozen and live forms many times, but was curious as there's no warning on the dried label, and this particular worm seems to cause more reactions than any other. I'm not prone to allergies, but just in case I ever have to leave instructions for someone else, I'd want to just avoid them from the list altogether.

[gardenman]

1 hour ago, Maggie said:

Does this also apply to freeze-dried blood worms? I have read this about the frozen and live forms many times, but was curious as there's no warning on the dried label, and this particular worm seems to cause more reactions than any other. I'm not prone to allergies, but just in case I ever have to leave instructions for someone else, I'd want to just avoid them from the list altogether.

I have way more trouble with the freeze-dried than the frozen. The freeze-dried trigger a runny nose, sneezing and just overall allergy misery. The frozen give me no issues at all. Maybe it's because I don't physically handle the frozen? I just plop them out into a small bowl of water and then after they're thawed I dump them into the tank.

[Brandy]

2 hours ago, Maggie said:

Does this also apply to freeze-dried blood worms? I have read this about the frozen and live forms many times, but was curious as there's no warning on the dried label, and this particular worm seems to cause more reactions than any other. I'm not prone to allergies, but just in case I ever have to leave instructions for someone else, I'd want to just avoid them from the list altogether.

I am afraid to test it to be honest. Bloodworms are not "worms" so I am not actually allergic to other worms like tubifix or grindal. They are insect larva of a kind of gnat. This is not so surprising since I have often had reactions to flying biting insects that were extreme. 

Oddly, fluval bug bites (soldier fly larvae) are totally fine though.

[gardenman]

Oddly enough, I was never allergic to live blood worms. Back when I kept marine fish I'd hand feed them to my mandarin and rock beauty one worm at a time. No issues at all. The freeze-dried ones are a whole different story though. (That's been years ago, so maybe I've developed the allergy since then?)

[tolstoy21]

I have reactions to Tetra Color Flakes, but only if I forget to wash my hand and later rub my eyes. Then, ugh . . . . .  It's probably the 'fish meal' and 'dried fish protein' they list as ingredients. 

I've switched Extreme Krill flakes and no allergic reaction. Probably because I do't have a shell fish allergy. Hard to say.