Runny nose and itchy eyes every milking, or a cough that started when you took over the farm? Cattle dander is one of the best studied farm allergens, especially among dairy farmers. Our test checks your blood for IgE to Bos d 2, the major cattle dander allergen, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, next to storage mites, moulds and hay pollen.
The major allergen in cattle dander is Bos d 2. It belongs to the lipocalin family, small carrier proteins that also make up the main allergens of horses, dogs and many rodents. Cattle make it in their skin and it sits in hair and dander.
Bos d 2 is one of the most important occupational allergens for dairy farmers, and much of the research on it comes from Finland, where cattle allergy in farmers has been studied for decades. Studies have also found cattle allergen inside farmhouses, carried in from the barn.
People sensitised to cattle commonly report a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and itchy eyes in the cowshed. Some get itchy skin on the arms and hands. People with asthma may notice cough, wheeze or a tight chest during milking or feeding.
Cowsheds also hold hay, straw, silage and feed, which bring storage mites, grass pollen and moulds. All of them can cause similar symptoms. Testing them together shows which ones your blood reacts to.
These are three different results. Bos d 2 is a dander protein you breathe in. Cow's milk and beef proteins are eaten, and they are measured with their own markers on the panel.
A positive Bos d 2 result says nothing on its own about milk or meat. Your milk and beef results sit in the same report, so you can read all three side by side.
From your finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to one single cattle dander protein as part of 300 allergens and allergen components. A positive result shows sensitisation, not a confirmed allergy. Your report gives the value a class from Negative to Very high. If symptoms come with work, take it to your occupational health service or a doctor.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Yes. Cattle dander contains Bos d 2, a well known farm allergen. A blood test shows whether you have IgE to it. A doctor can tell you what that means alongside your symptoms.
No. Bos d 2 is a dander protein you breathe in. Milk and beef proteins are different, and the panel reports them separately, so you can see each one in the same report.
It shows IgE to cattle dander next to storage mites, moulds and pollen, the usual suspects in a cowshed. For symptoms at work, talk to your occupational health service or a doctor about the result.
