1st International Congress Southern European Allergy Societies (SEAS)

FOR MANY YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN INFORMAL MEETINGS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ALLERGOLOGISTS FROM THE LATIN MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES, ITALY, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, DEVOTED TO PROBLEMS OF COMMON INTEREST SUCH AS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLLEN FROM THE LOCAL FLORA AND THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE ALLERGIC DISEASES IN THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. MOREOVER, THESE COUNTRIES STILL FOLLOW SIMILAR EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR ALLERGOLOGISTS AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGISTS.
The logical consequence of these meetings was the decision to enter into a pact of friendship and collaboration which was formalized in 2006 with the institution of SEAS (Southern European Allergy Societies).
SEAS in primarily concerned with aspects of good clinical practice such as:
Development of collaboration in the area of applied research
Exchange of information concerning good clinical practice in the area of health care of allergic diseases.
The comparison of postagraduate schools in Allergy and Clinical Immunology in order to standardize training programs and to promote programs for the international exchange of young specialists.
In this context, the focus of this first congress will in good part, be directed toward questions having etiological and epidemiological characteristics which are peculiar to southern Europe. There will be many presentations which compare and discuss the differences and similarities between the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to allergic diseases in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
The agenda which regards allergological questions of eminently practical nature has been set by inter-society working groups.
We will deal with many topics in our meetings such as aerobiology, climate change, food allergies, bronchial asthma, allergic dermatitis, Hymenoptera venom allergy in Southern Europe, allergy and aging, news and problems with diagnosis in vitro, updating in immunotherapy, protocols and techniques of desensitization in drug allergies, anaphylaxis in clinical practice, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Each session will see three highly competent speakers, one from each of the founding organizations. We will have poster sessions and satellite symposiums.
As in every scientific meeting there will be many news and updates. We believe that one of the special aspects of this congress is the special focus and the special characteristics of Southern Europe Allergology in the highly practical nature of the presentations and discussions.
A beautiful aria from the famous lyrical work by Giacomo Puccini called Gianni Schicchi begins with the words Firenze come un albero fiorito (Florence is like a flowering tree). The name Florence comes from Florentia , the city of flowers, therefore of pollens. What better place could there be than Florence to hold the first convention of the SEAS?