Anaphylaxis
Encyclopedia of Science, The, October, 2005
Anaphylaxis is a severe, sudden, often fatal bodily reaction to a foreign substance or antigen. C. R. Richet first coined the term to define the puzzling reactions that occurred in dogs following injection of an eel toxin. Instead of acquiring immunity from the toxin as expected, the dogs experienced acute reactions, including often fatal respiratory difficulties, shock, and internal hemorrhaging. In humans, anaphylaxis is a rare event usually triggered by an antiserum (to treat snake or insect bites), antibiotics (especially immunoglobulin), or after wasp or bee stings. Certain foods can also trigger these severe reactions, including seafood, rice , potatoes, egg-whites, raw milk, and pinto beans.
In systemic or system-wide cases, symptoms occur just minutes (or in rare...
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