The World Allergy Week, organized by the "http://www.worldallergy.org/worldallergyweek/" World Allergy Organization and the "http://www.eaaci.org/" European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, began today and will run through April 13, with the slogan 'Anaphylaxis, when allergies can be severe and fatal'. The aim of this year’s campaign is to increase awareness of the symptoms and the treatment of anaphylaxis, which is a pathology that can be fatal if it is not detected quickly and properly. According to Dr. Victòria Cardona, responsible of the Allergy Section at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, researcher of the Systemic Diseases group at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) and secretary of the "http://www.seaic.org/" Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, “the objectives of the campaign are to stress the importance of anaphylaxis, to provide information about the increased prevalence, and to improve the education and the patient services in order to improve the security and quality of life of patients”.  Food, drugs and hymenoptera bites (wasps and bees) are the most common causes of anaphylaxis. For that reason, “it is very important that people affected, their families, professionals and friends must be able to quickly diagnose and start the treatment as soon as possible”, reports the allergist.  Dr. Cardona leads two research lines in the Allergy Laboratory at VHIR: the first one aims to find useful biomarkers to diagnose anaphylaxis, and the second to study the role of cofactors such as alcohol, stress, anti-inflammatory drugs and exercise, in the disease. Dr. Mar Guilarte, researcher from the same lab, explains the research lines in the video attached.  It is estimated that anaphylaxis will affect 1 out of 300 people at some time in their lives. Besides, a study led by the Hospital de Alcorcón demonstrates that the prevalence of anaphylaxis increased between 2005 and 2011, so that it is a medical emergency with increased incidence.  Throughout this week, different Spanish hospitals organize informative sessions, adrenaline auto injectors workshops and conferences about food allergies.