A recent report from researchers at Johns Hopkins University concludes that a significant proportion of healthcare workers may be allergic to latex, the rubber used in surgical gloves. Researchers tested 168 anesthesiologists for allergic reactions to latex to collect data and found that about 2.5% had overt reactions, such as skin rash or sneezing, to latex, and that another 10% showed evidence of antibody recognition of latex, indicating an increased risk for developing overt latex allergies. The findings were presented at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.