Chlorinated pool exposure exerts an adjuvant effect on atopy that seems to contribute significantly to the burden of asthma and respiratory allergies among adolescents.

Recent studies suggest that swimming in chlorinated pools during infancy may increase the risks of lower respiratory tract infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of swimming in chlorinated pools on the risks of bronchiolitis and its late consequences.A total of 430 children (47% female; mean age 5.7 yrs) in 30 kindergartens were examined. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding the child's health history, swimming practice and potential confounders.Attendance at indoor or outdoor chlorinated pools ever before the age of 2 yrs was associated with an increased risk of bronchiolitis (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.08-2.68; p50.03), which was exposuredependent for both types of pool (p-value for trend ,0.01). Associations persisted, and were even strengthened, by the exclusion of other risk factors. Among children with no parental antecedents of atopic disease or no day-care attendance, odds ratios for bronchiolitis amounted to 4.45 (1.82-10.9; p50.001) and 4.44 (1.88-10.5; p50.007) after .20 h spent in chlorinated pools during infancy. Infant swimmers who developed bronchiolitis also showed higher risks of asthma and respiratory allergies later in childhood.Swimming pool attendance during infancy is associated with a higher risk of bronchiolitis, with ensuing increased risks of asthma and allergic sensitisation.

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New environmental conditions may impact on behaviour and morphology, and consequently affect population dynamics. Rapid response to new conditions is likely to be a key factor in species introduction success. The Red‐whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus is an Asian species which, following accidental introduction only 30 years ago, has colonized the two climatically and ecologically contrasting sides of the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. We assessed the degree of morphological divergence of mature birds in 11 non‐seasonal and three seasonal characters, in windward and leeward sites. Our study showed (1) that sexual dimorphism existed, (2) that when sexual dimorphism is controlled, nine non‐seasonal characters differed significantly between windward and leeward sites, (3) that these non‐seasonal characters define groups of geographically proximal sites, especially in males, and (4) that classification according to the most indicative character, the bill, also clearly separated birds from windward and leeward sites. These results indicate very rapid morphological divergence, particularly in bill size, in an introduced bird species in fewer than ten generations. We suggest that differences in diet could partly explain this variability.

The use of wood as heating and cooking fuel can result in elevated levels of indoor air pollution, but to what extent this is related to respiratory diseases and allergies is still inconclusive. Here, we report a cross-sectional study among 744 school adolescents (median age 15 years) using as main outcomes respiratory symptoms and diseases, exhaled nitric oxide, total and aeroallergen-specific IgE in serum, and two epithelial biomarkers in nasal lavage fluid (NALF) or serum, that is, Clara cell protein (CC16) and surfactant-associated protein D (SPD). Information about the wood fuel use and potential confounders was collected via a personal interview of the adolescent and a questionnaire filled out by the parents. Two approaches were used to limit the possible influence of confounders, that is, multivariate analysis using the complete study population or pairwise analysis of matched sub-populations obtained using an automated procedure. Wood fuel use was associated with a decrease of CC16 and an increase of SPD in serum, which resulted in a decreased serum CC16/SPD ratio (median -9%, P = 0.001). No consistent differences were observed for the biomarkers measured in exhaled breath or NALF. Wood fuel use was also associated with increased odds for asthma [odds ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.4, P = 0.02], hay fever (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.4-4.3, P = 0.002), and sensitization against pollen allergens (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3-3.4, P = 0.002). The risks of respiratory tract infections, self-reported symptoms, and sensitization against house-dust mite were not increased by wood fuel use. The increased risks of asthma, hay fever and aeroallergen sensitization, and the changes of lung-specific biomarkers consistently pointed towards respiratory effects associated with the use of wood fuel.