Mugwort ragweed in Europe is spreading

Mugwort ragweed in Europe a growing health hazard

14/10/2012

Europe is facing a pollen invasion. The North American biting ragweed spreads in Europe - and is highly allergenic. It contributes to the fact that the hay fever season and thus the burden on patients is significantly extended. In addition, it causes millions of dollars each year.

Hay fever in Germany occurs mainly between March and July. Meanwhile, many patients suffer from a significantly longer allergy season. Responsible for this is originally from North America mugwort ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), which is now spreading in Germany and Europe, where it flowers from August to October. Because the pollen of the plant is highly allergenic, allergy sufferers can experience massive symptoms such as asthma.

Allergy costs are rising
Scientists from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Allergy Center of the LMU Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München have now estimated the health costs caused by this for the first time.

Extrapolating the data from their patient survey shows that treatment costs for pollen allergy sufferers could increase by 10 to 25 percent. In total, that can make up from 200 million to - at worst - more than a billion euros a year.

The researchers admit that it is almost impossible to calculate the costs that are due to a specific allergen. Nevertheless, the study shows what dimension the problem can get. The spread of the plant must therefore be contained, write the scientists. (Original publication: W. Born et al., Health costs of mugwort ragweed in Germany, environmental medicine in research and practice, 2012.)