Kids Hunt for Allergy Clues at Bronx Zoo
By Tom Kertes

What could zoos and allergies possibly have in common? According to Linda Corcoran of the Wildlife Conversation Society, zoos are educational places that also provide fun for children. Therefore, what better place to find out about allergies. If you turn kids into detectives as part of a Detective Weekend program, they can find allergy clues everywhere. The Detective Program has visited 14 zoos around the United States in the last two years, touching thousands of lives in a surprisingly significant way.

"It's significant, because allergies are a serious, ever-growing problem," said Dr. Roberto Zambon, an internist at St. Luke's- Roosevelt Hospital who's affiliated with the project. "In fact, an estimated 41 million Americans suffer from the condition. Allergies cost U.S. companies more than $250 million last year. And amazingly we, as a people, are still exceedingly uninformed about it."

What are allergies? "They are a specific immunologic reaction - a heightened sensitivity, if you will — to a normally harmless substance that does not bother most people," Dr. Zambon said. "It can cause watery eyes, sneezing, even sinus congestion for weeks at a time." Why do people develop allergies? "It's not yet fully understood, but heredity may very well be a factor," said the doctor. Scientists believe that people inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. "If one parent is allergic, a child has a 25 per cent chance to develop allergies," Dr. Zambon said. "If both parents have allergies, the chances rise to 75 per cent."

As part of the "Be a Zyrtec Detective" program, children received a "detective kit" upon entering the zoo, complete with a clue map. As they toured through the various exciting attractions, including the monkeys, birds, and tigers, they sought out clue signs with allergy-related riddles. After all three clues had been solved, the letters received from each clue provided the answer to the final word jumble. Then the completed clue cards were redeemed for a prize at the Detective Zone, including a picture with Bunches - a friendly grape-colored ape character that appeared to be a close relative of Barney.

The Detective Zone also included a "detective debriefing area" where kids, and their parents, could ask Dr. Zambon all kinds of information about allergies. A computer kiosk was even available to help adults identify their particular allergy profile. People with allergies are often sensitive to more than one substance. The most common ones are seasonal outdoor allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollen, and year-round indoor allergens such as dust particles, animal dander, and mold.

"Some can be harder to treat than others," Dr. Zambon said. "For allergy sufferers, understanding their unique profile can help the doctor select the treatment that works best." Of course, as with so many other illnesses, prevention may be the best medicine. "The key to managing your allergies and your kids' allergies is preventing a flare-up before the symptoms intensify," Dr. Zambon said.

The kid detectives learned that, in order to avoid allergy flare-ups, allergy-proofing the home and compliance with prescription medications are the best methods. "All signs point to the pollen level being extremely high, maybe the highest ever in fact, this year," Dr. Zambon said. "So what a great time this is for children to learn about allergies."#

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