Agriculture in Israel has played an important role in the development and economy in the country, despite its arid climate and challenging environment. The main crops that grow in Israel, particularly in the Negev, are olives, dates, pomegranates, and grapes.
Despite the fact that agriculture has been a major presence in Israel for decades, we have much to learn about the industry's health implications for residents, such as the crop-related airborne allergens that are major triggers for Allergic Airway Disease (AAD). With the climate change crises, incidences of AAD and related ED visits are expected to increase, as higher temperatures, high wind speeds, and low humidity increase pollen release. We hypothesize that there is a temporal association between crop flowering and higher rates of allergy-related ED visits and allergy medication purchases.