At home and at school Jasper Blair’s EpiPen is never far away. His mum Sera is calling for a more permanent treatment for Jack Jumper Ant allergy.
By Kath Gannaway
Jasper’s parents Sera and David Blair are calling for a desensitisation treatment – jack jumper ant (JJA) venom immunotherapy treatment (VIT) – to be government funded in Victoria.
VIT is available through the health system in Tasmania, and the same sort of treatment for wasp and bee stings is provided here through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The Blairs are working with Ferntree Gully mother Michelle Madden to create a register of people who are allergic to the JJA venom to make a case for funding.
Ms Madden started a petition and awareness campaign after her son Ryan, 5, had an anaphylactic reaction in February and says since putting the website up a little over a month ago she has more than 20 people registered.
Ms Blair said since Jasper started school last year two other students had discovered they had the allergy, as well as a teacher.
“These ants are all over our community and one sting can send people who are allergic into anaphylaxis,” she said.
Jasper’s allergy was confirmed after two frightening incidents.
He first suffered a reaction – hives, swelling and an extensive rash, when he was two. Ten days later the allergy flared again and following blood tests that confirmed the allergy, the Blairs were given an EpiPen to administer life-saving adrenalin as an immediate response to a sting, and instructions to call an ambulance.
The Blairs are vigilant around their Chum Creek home, removing garden beds from around the house and ant nests as they appear, but say the treatment would allow Jasper, and others, to enjoy a normal outdoor life.
A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia last month supports that view.
University of NSW Professor Simon Brown in “Causes of ant sting anaphylaxis in Australia: the Australian Ant Venom Allergy Study”, identifies the jack jumper ant as one of three ants mainly responsible for allergies.
“VIT would vastly improve the lives of people with reactions,” Prof. Brown says in the report.
Ms Madden said the campaign aimed to provide the numbers that would get VIT funded sooner rather than later.
“When Ryan went into anaphylaxis I thought I was the only one,” she said.
“Suddenly there was a realisation that there are a lot of people out there in the same situation and we need to band together to show that there is a real demand from sufferers of JJA allergy for proper medical treatment.”
For further information or to register visit the JJA Desensitisation Program website at www.jjant.info, or email Ms Madden at jjants@jjant.info
