Laboratory Animal Allergy Management and Mitigation

Laboratory animal allergy remains a significant occupational health concern for personnel working with rodents and other mammalian models. Sensitisation to airborne proteins, particularly lipocalin allergens such as Mus m 1 from mouse urine and dander, can provoke IgE-mediated responses ranging from rhinitis and conjunctivitis to occupational asthma. Management strategies combine exposure reduction—through engineering controls (for example, filtered cages, local exhaust ventilation and enclosed handling systems), administrative measures (task rotation, cleaning schedules) and personal protective equipment (respirators, gloves and gowns)—with rigorous environmental and medical surveillance. Component-resolved diagnostic tools employing recombinant allergens now afford greater specificity in detecting sensitisation and guiding immunotherapy. Concurrently, insights into regulatory immune pathways, including B cell–dependent tolerance mechanisms, are informing the development of novel preventive and therapeutic interventions. Practical guidelines emphasise routine monitoring of airborne allergen levels, standardised housekeeping practices to minimise cross-contamination from laboratory to home, and tailored immunomodulatory approaches to mitigate both new sensitisation and escalation of symptoms.

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Laboratory Animal Allergy Management and Mitigation publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in laboratory animal allergy management and mitigation across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mus m 1: The major mouse urinary lipocalin allergen responsible for most IgE-mediated reactions in laboratory animal workers.

Component-resolved diagnosis: An approach using individual purified or recombinant allergen proteins to enhance specificity and accuracy in detecting sensitisation profiles.

Epitope: A discrete region of an allergen molecule recognised by antibody or T cell receptors, critical for mapping immune responses.

Regulatory B cell (Breg): A subset of B lymphocytes that produces immunosuppressive cytokines (e.g. IL-10) to downregulate allergic inflammation.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Garments and devices—such as respirators, gloves and protective suits—worn to prevent direct contact with laboratory animal allergens.

References

1. Component-Resolved Diagnosis Based on a Recombinant Variant of Mus m 1 Lipocalin Allergen. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
2. B cells modulate mouse allergen-specific T cells in nonallergic laboratory animal-care workers. JCI Insight (2021).
3. From workplace to home environment: spreading of mouse allergens by laboratory animal workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health (2020).