Allergenic pollen is produced by the flowers of a number of trees, grasses and weeds found throughout the UK. Exposure to such pollen grains can exacerbate pollen-related asthma and allergenic conditions such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever). Maps showing the location of these allergenic taxa have many applications: they can be used to provide advice on risk assessments; combined with health data to inform research on health impacts such as respiratory hospital admissions; combined with weather data to improve pollen forecasting systems; or as inputs to pollen emission models. In this study we present 1 km resolution maps of 12 taxa of trees, grass and weeds found in the UK. We have selected the main species recorded by the UK pollen network. The taxa mapped in this study were: Alnus (alder), Fraxinus (ash), Betula (birch), Corylus (hazel), Quercus (oak), Pinus (pine) and Salix (willow), Poaceae (grass), Artemisia (mugwort), Plantago (plantain), Rumex (dock, sorrels) and Urtica (nettle). We also focus on one high population centre and present maps showing local level detail around the city of London. Our results show the different geographical distributions of the 12 taxa of trees, weeds and grass, which can be used to study plants in the UK associated with allergy and allergic asthma. These maps have been produced in order to study environmental exposure and human health, although there are many possible applications. This novel method not only provides maps of many different plant types, but also at high resolution across regions of the UK, and we uniquely present 12 key plant taxa using a consistent methodology. To consider the impact on human health due to exposure of the pollen grains, it is important to consider the timing of pollen release, and its dispersal, as well as the effect on air quality, which is also discussed here.

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Experimental primary infections with Cryptocaryon irritans were successfully established in mullet following exposure to theronts and maintained for up to 34 successive cycles in this host. Fish were exposed to measured numbers of theronts collected within 4 hr of excystment. Free-swimming trophonts and reproductive cysts were maintained in wells of tissue culture plates containing sterilized seawater and subjected to a photoperiod of 12 hr light:12 hr dark. Excystment was found to be asynchronous over a period from 84 hr to 35 days. The procedure provided at least a 10-fold yield of parasite material per cycle of transmission.

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Host specificity of the marine ciliate Cryptocaryon irritans was investigated using seven parasite isolates and six experimental fish species. The low degree of host specificity of C. irritans to teleost fish has been confirmed. Furthermore, five fish species occurring outside the geographical range of this parasite were also susceptible to infection; three of these could be at risk to Cryptocaryon through aquaculture practices.