Shrimp allergy: treatments beyond avoiding shrimp
What it found
For people with shrimp allergy, researchers are testing ways to reduce reactions, including modified shrimp, immunotherapy, probiotics and Chinese herbs.
Most of these are still experimental.
What they found
Studies in people
House dust mite immunotherapy
Studies in people have given mixed results. Some found that house dust mite immunotherapy did not increase shrimp reactions, while others reported it could induce shrimp allergy or tolerance.
Animal and lab studies
Hypoallergenic shrimp
In lab tests, breaking down shrimp proteins with enzymes like papain reduced allergic reactions. Cooking methods did not significantly reduce the risk.
Probiotics in mice
In mice allergic to shrimp tropomyosin, a probiotic mixture reduced symptom scores and histamine release after allergen challenge.
Chinese herbal formulations
In a mouse model of peanut allergy, a mixture of 11 herbs prevented anaphylaxis and lowered specific IgE for at least 4 weeks after treatment stopped. Clinical trials in food allergy, including shellfish, are ongoing.
Other findings
Shrimp allergy basics
Shrimp is the most studied crustacean for allergy. Tropomyosin (Pen a 1) is a major shrimp allergen and causes cross-reactivity among crustaceans and with house dust mites.
Avoidance still standard
Currently, managing shrimp allergy relies on avoiding shrimp and other crustaceans. Patients are usually healthy unless they accidentally eat shellfish.
What the authors conclude
- They say there is a therapeutic need for shrimp allergy.
- They state that exploring new options will lead to new treatments for this and other food allergies.
- They note that food allergic patients have been waiting for too many years.
How it was done
Shrimp allergy usually lasts a lifetime, and the only current management is avoiding shrimp. The authors wanted to review other options that might help once a diagnosis is made.
The authors reviewed published studies on therapies other than avoidance for shrimp allergy. These included making shrimp less allergenic, immunotherapy with modified allergens, probiotics, and Chinese herbal formulations.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the findings come from animal or lab studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies on house dust mite immunotherapy gave conflicting results, so it is unclear whether it helps or harms shrimp allergy.
- The review does not provide a proven treatment that replaces avoidance for shrimp allergy.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University Hospital of La Plana, Spain Phone: + Fax: + E-mail:
The paper
- Title
- Shrimp allergy: beyond avoidance diet
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- El-Qutob D (2017). Shrimp allergy: beyond avoidance diet. European annals of allergy and clinical immunology. doi:10.23822/EurAnnACI.1764-1489.16Free full textPubMed 29249132DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error