Dangerous things hamsters!

[MrTempleDene]

One put this man in hospital!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/6703451.stm

Must admit, I am slightly paranoid about allergies, how do you find out if your allergic to something until you have your first reaction against it? wich could really make you poorly or worse?

[Emsickle]

I read the same article about 2 mins before you posted Pete. Did you see the follow through link where the chap actually died from the bite aswell!!

I'm the same though - how do you know you are allergic to penicillin, eggs, nuts etc until you've tried them? My eldest ds is allergic to penicillin, but doesn't have an extreme reaction to it - just rashes, but what about those that go into anaphylactic shock through nut/egg eating - very scary!

[Daffs]

Yes, very scary. He died from it?!!!!!

[MrTempleDene]

I didn't see that he'd died, that's terrible.

The school my DS and DD are at have a chld there who is, apparently, so allergic to peanuts even the smell of them can cause a reaction.

I find that a little hard to believe myself.

[Emsickle]

There was one link, via yahoo news I think it was, where a guy died, and the pm showed that he'd had an allergic reaction to the hamster bite, or to the saliva of the hamster anyway

Not this guy mind..

[Daffs]

There was someone in the local town who died eating a well known choc bar with peanuts in, that was years ago though. He was very young too. Very sad.

I couldn't find a link on that story about the man dying??

[Emsickle]

Found it - it was in 2004

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/30/killer_hamster/

Like I say, was a different chap, not the one thats just making the headlines :)

[nicholamarie]

how awful. it makes you wonder if you should get tested for allergies.

does a basic piriton help with allergies like this or did this man know he was allergic to things and has medication in the house?