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The first epidemiologic survey of childhood allergic rhinitis in Iran was carried out from May 1995 until April 1996.. A questionnaire was distributed among 4584, 11-15 year-old children of both sexes, to be completed under supervision of medical students. Nasal smears were collected from the cases with allergic rhinitis (n = 445, 5.8%.), and from 340 healthy children for comparison. Significant nasal eosinophilia was present in 62% (274) of the chidren with allergic rhinitis. Classic allergic rhinitis was seen in 226 cases. In conclusion, allergic-rhinitis is one of the major health problems in Shiraz school children. Eosinophilia of nasal secretions has a specificity of 96% and sensitivity 62%, and seems to he somewhat valuable as a screening test for nasal allergy.