Group member Caroline Chasara. Image carolcmoyo@gmail.comJoined Oak foundation in 2017Project titleCharacterization of the specific reactive proteins involved in grass pollen allergy in Zimbabwean patientsProject summaryInhalant allergies continue to be a global problem. A quarter of most industrialized countries are known to be affected by diseases such as allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma and dermatitis. Inhalant allergy is encountered globally and these cases are increasing in the Central African region. A significant number of patients in Zimbabwe show allergic symptoms caused by grass pollen. The prevalence of pollen allergy is increasing. This could be due to the use of European diagnosis kits (EUROIMMUN) to diagnose locally relevant allergies. While the prevalence of these diseases has been documented in various other countries, there is limited information reported in Zimbabwe. Under reporting of allergies in Zimbabwe is due to the shortage of allergy centers and limited allergy specialists in the country. Cross reactivities are also occurring between pollen and food allergen sources leading to misdiagnosis. Concurrent short studies have been carried out in Zimbabwe. This study aims at characterizing the specific reactive proteins causing grass pollen allergy in Zimbabwean patients, and to carry out bioinformatic screening and detection of allergen cross reactive IgE binding epitopes.Education & credentialsMSc in Biotechnology, University of Zimbabwe 2018Honors in Biochemistry, University of Zimbabwe 2016 This article was published on 2024-06-17
