Allergy to Crickets: A Review

Abstract

Cricket allergy is less severe and less common than allergy to locusts and grasshoppers. A partial cross-reactivity exists between cricket and grasshopper allergens. Cricket allergens are proteinaceous compounds, but their nature is insufficiently known; arginine kinase and hexamerin 1B may play a role. Occupational allergy, i.e. allergy of personnel working with rearing and breeding of cricket colonies, is the subject of the majority of reports on cricket allergy. Frequent handling of crickets (for example as fish baits) may inflict allergy which may be considered as a kind of occupational allergy. Crickets are edible insects and are widely consumed in many parts of the world. Nevertheless, food allergy to crickets seems to be relatively rare.