Correlation of Asian Dust Storm Events with Daily Clinic Visits for Allergic Rhinitis in Taipei, Taiwan

In spring, windblown dust storms originating in the deserts of Mongolia and China head toward Taipei city. These occurrences are known as Asian dust storm (ADS) events. The objective of this study was to assess the possible associations of ADS on the daily clinical visits for allergic rhinitis of residents in Taipei, Taiwan, during the period 1997-2001. Forty-nine dust storms were identified and classified as index days. Daily clinical visits for allergic rhinitis on the index days were compared with clinical visits on the comparison (non-ADS) days. Two non-ADS days for each index day, 7 d before the index day and 7 d after the index day, were selected. The effects of dust storms on clinic visits for allergic rhinitis were prominent 2 d after the event (19%). However, the association was not statistically significant. There may not have been enough power to detect associations resulting from the inadequate sample size of allergic rhinitis visits on ADS days. Further study is needed to clarify this association.