Caterpillars cause a major alarm

180 students show allergic reactions due to oak processionary spinners

15/09/2011

The contact with the fine hairs of the oak processionary spinners has caused allergic reactions and a strong itching in about 180 students of the Frankfurt Helmholtz School. Already on Tuesday, due to the enigmatic symptoms, a large alarm of rescue workers was triggered. Subsequent investigations by the health department of the city of Frankfurt showed that the complaints of the pupils were caused by the fine hair of the caterpillars.

The information of the health department compared to the „Hessian Broadcasting“ According to research, on Wednesday in several trees in the schoolyard, old nests of oak processionary spinners were discovered. Oswald Bellinger of the Frankfurt Office for Health explained that probably one of these nests had fallen down and thus triggered the allergic reactions in the students. After the cause has been clarified and the nests have been eliminated, the lesson at the school can resume its normal course starting Thursday, according to the health department's announcement.

Allergic reactions to stinging hair of the oak processionary moth
According to the health authorities, the tiny stinging hairs of the oak processionary spinners can cause severe allergic reactions, respiratory complaints and weeks of itching. „This is a caterpillar, whose hair causes an allergy on contact, "explained Oswald Bellinger Allergy sufferers threaten in the worst case, anaphylactic shock The fine hairs of the poisonous caterpillars bite on skin contact with barbs and give off a protein poison that rashes, As the caterpillars of the caterpillars can travel long distances through the air in windy conditions, there is also an increased risk of inhalation near the caterpillar nests As the hairs of the caterpillars, including the larvae, are kept relatively long after pupation in the nests, so-called spiders, the old webs, according to the experts, sometimes present a lasting health risk is.

So old caterpillar nests of the oak processionary moths were now the cause of the triggered on Tuesday morning large alarm at the Frankfurt Helmholtz school. One of the threads had to have fallen down, causing the students to come in contact with the burning hair, explained Oswald Bellinger. About 180 high school students complained of red pustules on the skin and severe itching. After the rescuers have found no more serious health problems in the investigation of adolescents, all students of the high school were sent home. On Wednesday, the school remained closed and the old webs identified as the cause of the allergic reactions were removed from the trees so that lessons can resume their normal course since today. (Fp)

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Image: Caterpillar dermatitis (Lepidopterism) by oak processionary spinner Photo: Daniel Ullrich. License: released in the GFDL.