The Chief Sanitary Inspector informs - Did you know that during a summer walk you should pay attention to the plants you pass on your way? The most dangerous plant to health may be Sosnowsky's hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi). It is not only risky to touch it, but even to be in its vicinity.
Chief Sanitary Inspector (GIS) - Beware of Sosnowsky's hogweed, photo: GIS
Where can you find Sosnowsky's hogweed?
It is an invasive plant that occurs throughout the country - most often in meadows, pastures, along water streams, on the edges of forests and fields or on ditch slopes.
How to recognize the plant?
It resembles dill in appearance
It has characteristic white flowers, gathered in a large umbel
Stems covered with purple spots
Height: up to 3-5 m
Width of the leaf rosette: up to 2 m
Thickness of the stem: up to 12 cm
What are the symptoms after contact with the plant?
The juice and essential oils of Sosnowsky's hogweed contain toxic substances (furanocoumarins). Under the influence of sunlight, they cause skin changes that resemble a burn - redness, rash, ulceration or swelling. Symptoms appear from a few to a dozen or so hours after contact.
The following may also occur:
nausea,
vomiting.
headaches,
respiratory injuries,
eye injuries,
anaphylactic shock.
The toxic compounds produced by the plant may also affect the development of skin cancers.
You should be especially careful with Sosnowsky's hogweed in the summer, because humidity and high air temperature increase its toxicity.
How to reduce the risk of burns?
Do not touch or pick the plants - especially with your bare hands.
The volatile essential oils secreted by this plant may deposit on the skin - so avoid being near hogweed.
If you are near the plant, protect your skin and respiratory tract from UV radiation: use sunscreen, wear glasses and clothing made of non-absorbent plastic that covers the skin, and wear protective masks.
Remember that children's skin is more sensitive to the toxic effects of hogweed.
What to do if you get a burn from Sosnowski's hogweed?
In case of direct exposure/contact, wash the skin with lukewarm water and soap as soon as possible to remove the plant sap from the surface. Wash all items and clothes that have been in contact with the hogweed.
If serous blisters have appeared on the skin but have not burst, you can apply a corticosteroid ointment (cream) locally.
Consult your doctor about the choice of pharmacological agents.
If the plant has come into contact with your eyes, rinse them thoroughly with water, protect them from light and consult an ophthalmologist.
If the burn is severe or you experience breathing difficulties, call an ambulance.
Regardless of the severity of symptoms, avoid exposure to sunlight. Even if no symptoms have occurred, avoid the sun for at least 48 hours.
Remember!
You can check the locations where Sosnowsky's hogweed occurs in an online database that has almost 3,000 locations. (https://mapa.barszcz.edu.pl/)
If you spot Sosnowsky's hogweed, report it to the 24-hour emergency number of the municipal guard 986
source - GIS
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