REGARDING REFERENCE
www.epa.gov/oppts/documents/fsis31.pdf
Immediate hypersensitivity is exemplified by the person allergic to
shellfish whose tongue goes raw and swollen at a restaurant, or the person
allergic to bees who is bitten and dies. These are due to the immune
system's antibodies (in particular, immunoglobulin E, or "IgE") reacting
to the tree proteins in the latex. Routes of exposure include aerosol,
direct bloodstream contact (medically called "parenteral", such as by
intravenous injection), direct gut contact (called "enteral", such as by
eating), mucosal (such as exposure of the moist inner tissues of the
vagina or penis to a condom), among others.
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The CDC reports that one to six in every 100 Americans may be allergic to
latex. If you are a healthcare worker (or are regularly exposed to natural
latex rubber) your chances of developing this allergy jumps to 12%-18%.
Because of the cornstarch powder used this allergen becomes airborne and
can cause reactions when you are not even touching a latex product.
