Scientists have stated that identification of a gene defect that has the capability of making the risk of a child developing an allergy to peanuts three times has been done.

The disease has been understood better as a breakthrough has been done, an international research team led by Dundee University said.

Filaggrin is the gene the scientists have been talking about and eczema and asthma are caused by this gene already.

In the UK alone, about one to two per cent of kids are bearing the impact of peanut allergy and this can also be fatal.

The Dundee team said, it has been seen that in the past 20 to 30 years, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people affected by the condition and it was added that the actual cause of the allergy still remains unknown.

Dr Sara Brown, a fellow at Dundee University, said that after this gene was linked to asthma and eczema, investigating that this gene was a cause of peanut allergy was the logical next step.

She said, “Allergic conditions often run in families, which tells us that inherited genetic factors are important. In addition to that, changes in the environment and our exposure to peanuts are thought to have been responsible for the recent increase in peanut allergy.”

A genetic change that is now associated with this allergy has happened for the first time.