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Joining EU gave Polish farmers allergies?

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 17.12.2013 09:55
A new study indicates that modern farming methods introduced after Poland adopted the EU Common Agricultural Policy have led to a rise in allergies among country dwellers.

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Photo: Glowimages

The study, which was carried out by Imperial College London, notes that “a predisposition towards allergic reactions” has leapt from seven percent to 20 percent in villages in southwest Poland between 2003 and 2012.

The situation has been linked to the reality that after Poland adopted the EU Common Agricultural Policy in 2003, it was no longer economical for Polish farmers to keep livestock such as cows and pigs on their land.

It is believed that exposure to farm animals from an early age helps people to build up a resistance to allergies.

“Asthma, hay fever, and other allergic diseases are becoming more common in many countries and there’s growing evidence that they’re linked to modern, clean lifestyles,” said Professor Paul Cullinan, author of the study.

“We found that rapid changes in farming practices after Poland joined the EU were accompanied by a sharp increase in allergies over a very short period of time,” he confirmed.

“It’s likely that similar changes are occurring in other places in Europe, and we can expect that elsewhere in the world, we may see major increases in allergies, asthma and hay fever over the coming decades as countries become more westernised and less rural.”

Public research university Imperial College London was established in 1907, and it is considered one of the UK's finest academic instititions. Professor Cullinan was aided by researchers from Wroclaw Medical University. (nh)

Source: imperial.ac.uk

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