Objectives: To identify the pollen and fungal spores in the atmosphere over Barbados, determine their concentration and assess their impact, together with rainfall, on asthmatic attendances to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Design and Methods: Air was sampled at two locations in Barbados from May 2000 to April 2001. The daily pollen and spore counts were calculated, and these, together with daily rainfall values, were compared to the number of asthmatics attending the asthma bay of the QEH.

Results: Several species of pollen (95% grass; 4% tree and 1% weed) were identified in the aeroflora of Barbados. The most common grass pollen was Andropogon intermedius and the most common tree pollen was Cordia sebestena. 45 spore types were identified of which the most common were Cladosporium during dry weather and ascospores during rainy weather. There was a noticeable increase in grass pollen concentration during September and October coinciding with increased visits to the asthma bay. Fungal spore concentration rose earlier in mid-July and remained so until October. Pollen counts from trees remained low during the entire study period. Neither pollen nor spore counts correlated with the increase asthmatic attendances in mid-May to mid-June. Correlation was only found with increased rainfall during this period.

Conclusion: A variety of pollens and spores were identified in the atmosphere in Barbados. Pollen counts rose sharply during the wet months of September and October coinciding with increased asthma visits at the QEH. These results suggest that starting prophylactic treatment in allergic individuals by late August may reduce both allergic symptoms and asthmatic attacks. Providing such information regularly to the public and health authorities can assist considerably in reducing the impact of allergic diseases on society.