Allergenicity of airborne cyanobacteria Phormidium fragile and Nostoc muscorum

In recent times, airborne microorganisms and their constituents have become prominent safety and health concern. Ongoing climatic changes coupled with unwarranted human activities have significantly deteriorated the ambient air quality. In certain environments, airborne algae contribute significantly to the total biological load of the atmosphere, hitherto dominated by bacteria and fungi. Present study was aimed to investigate the allergenic potency of two frequent viable algal forms i.e., Phormidium fragile and Nostoc muscorum found in the atmosphere of Varanasi City, India. To test the allergenic potency, crude extracts of these strains were subjected to intra-dermal allergy test and subsequent leukocyte counts, which revealed their allergenic nature. Both the species varied in their allergenic potency. N. muscorum appeared to be more allergenic than P. fragile. However, when the allergens were mixed in equal amounts, the severity of allergenicity increased significantly. A limited pattern of cross-reactivity between the species was also evident.