It is only in the past 25 years that Type I latex allergy (see 'Type I allergy') has become widely recognised.

Although the first case was reported as long ago as 1927, natural rubber latex (NRL) was actually thought to be harmless until reactions to gloves were reported in 1979 (a housewife at home) (1) and 1980 (a nurse at work) (2)

Attention to latex allergy was brought into sharp focus when it was realised that reactions could be severe (3) and even fatal (4) in 1989 and 1991 respectively.

Increasing numbers of reports of latex allergy were subsequently reported throughout the 1990s. A number of factors probably explain this rise:

• greatly increased use (about 10-fold) of NRL gloves within healthcare since the late 1980s because of the need for protection from bloodborne pathogens (HIV and viral hepatitis) (5)
  
  
• this sudden huge demand for hand protection led to the production of many poor quality NRL gloves with high allergen levels, made by inexperienced manufacturers
  
  
• an increasingly susceptible (atopic) population for the development of allergic diseases
  
  
• better awareness of NRL allergy by workers
  
  
• better recognition of the condition by clinicians

Most latex gloves used in healthcare today have less potential for sensitization than the gloves of a decade ago (6). The use of these better quality NRL gloves with lower allergen levels has led to a marked decline in the rate of allergy in healthcare workers (7,8).

Gloves that are used in occupations outside of healthcare are not subject to similar controls. Nor have they received as much attention in the medical literature, although increased occurrence of latex allergy in glove-using occupations other than healthcare workers is well-documented (9).

This may be a growing problem. History will relate in time.

Bibliography

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