Peanut allergy: an overview

Allergic reactions to peanuts killed at least six people in the UK in 1993. Since then peanut allergy has generated a huge amount of interest among the general public, the medical profession and government agencies. The first case of peanut allergy was reported in 1920. However, no systematic studies of the subject were undertaken until the early 1980s. Before the recent increase in interest in peanut allergy, only two UK papers had reported six cases of peanut allergy - two of these patients died.