Testing for seafood allergies in Australia is unreliable in revealing a condition that is now the nation's number one cause of allergy-related deaths, Queensland researchers have warned.

Key points: JCU researchers tested more than 100 children suffering seafood allergies

JCU researchers tested more than 100 children suffering seafood allergies The study found the tests were mostly for fish found in overseas waters

The study found the tests were mostly for fish found in overseas waters Researchers hoped their study would lead to improvements in testing and diagnosis

Research published today shows diagnosing the condition in Australia has major shortfalls that could be proving fatal for people whose allergies had gone undetected.

The four-year investigation, led by James Cook University (JCU), tested more than 100 children suffering seafood allergies to establish the effectiveness of current diagnosis tools.

The study found techniques such as the common skin prick test were unreliable, as they mostly tested for fish found overseas.

"Most of these skin prick tests solutions which are used in diagnostics actually come from North America and Europe, they don't contain any local fish species including Barramundi or Mackerel," Professor Andreas Lopata said.

He said this could have serious consequences, given reactions to seafood claimed more lives in Australia than any other allergy.

"This could be misdiagnosed as being non-allergic to fish and have people carry on eating fish and this could be a life-threatening situation," Professor Lopata said.

JCU PhD student Thimo Ruethers, who led the study, said they hoped the findings — published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology — would lead to improvements in testing and diagnosis for Australian patients.

"We really want to make sure that people who have a fish allergy know and if they do which specific fish," he said.

"We need to have blood tests because you can't really test a patient for more than 100 Australian fish species otherwise."

Many Australians who suffer adverse reactions to seafood may not have had their allergy diagnosed, researchers say. ( ABC News )

'I ate some fish, then I couldn't breathe'

Paula Rodger, who assisted in the investigation, has suffered a severe seafood allergy since she was two years old.

"From a young age I ate a lot of fish and then just one day I ate some fish I was all red, broke out in hives and couldn't breathe. They rushed me off to hospital and discovered it was a seafood allergy," she said.

There had been times the allergy had almost claimed her life.

She said she hoped her experience helped in the search for a solution.

"There is so many good things that come from seafood and I feel like I miss out by not being able to have it and I would like to think if my grandchildren was to have the same thing, that something I've done could help them towards that," she said.

JCU is the only institution in the Asia Pacific looking into this area of research and Mr Ruethers said there was still a long road ahead.

"We have it established in our lab but it's not really ready for the market and unfortunately it takes forever until proper diagnostics are available," Mr Ruethers said.