[johnb2004]

"Yes - even a small particle of wheat can kill a person with celiac disease."

Can you provide a reference? Celiac, like all disorders, comes in degrees. If every suffer could die from the smallest particle then every case would be fatal. What happens when a celiac sufferer kisses someone who just ate a piece of bread. A small particle caught between teeth is transferred? Do they die?

As far as I am aware celiac is not a delayed type hypersensitivity disease.

[quidestveritas]

I have celiac disease. Even a small amount of wheat does damage to our intestines causing them to be less able to absorb nutrients. Immediate reactions are rare, usually they are delayed by 8 to 24 hours. These reactions can be violent but they rarely are life threatening.

Unless they happen to be like me. I shouldn't be driving if I am having a violent reaction. I can come close to fainting.

With continued exposure to wheat, the worst cases can die of malnutrition. Exposure to wheat also increases the risk of some cancers and the development of other autoimmune diseases and nutrition related disorders. For a celiac to have some semblance of normal health he needs to avoid eating even the smallest amount of wheat. I have reacted to eggs fried on the same surface as pancakes.

There are some who have a wheat allergy who could go into anaphylactic shock, but this is not Celiac Disease, not the case of this child and mother.

One fallacy should be pointed out from the original article. Celiac disease is not rare. Studies have shown that 1 in 130 have the disease. Many are asymptomatic and doctors don't look for it like they should. It is in the top ten undiagnosed diseases. There is a hereditary component so if there is one celiac in a family expect to find 3 or 4 more in the extended family.

Hope this information is helpful.

JMJ---Roger