Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) or summer eczema (SE) is a dermatitis of horses, caused by IgE mediated hypersensitivity reaction, to Culicoides spp. (biting midges) not indigenous to Iceland. Icelandic horses born in Iceland and exported to the continent are more strongly affected by IBH than most other breeds. Since the year 2000 there has been an ongoing collaborative IBH project between Keldur and the group of Dr. Eliane Marti at the University of Berne, Switzerland

The aim of the project is to find and characterize the allergens causing IBH, analyse the immune response that leads to the disease and the final aim is development of immunotherapy against insect bite hypersensitivity.

The summer eczema group at Keldur 2022
Sigríður Jónsdóttir, MSc, PhD Immunologist (siggajons [at] hi.is)
Sigurbjörg Torsteinsdóttir Dr.Med.Sc. Immunologist (sibbath [at] hi.is)
Vilhjálmur Svansson, DMV, PhD Veterinarian/virologist
Sara Björk Stefánsdóttir, BSc, MSc, PhD student
Fenja Johanna von der Höden, MSc, PhD student
Hafdís María Pétursdóttir, BSc, MSc student