Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
##common.pageHeaderLogo.altText##

Original article

Vol. 145 No. 4344 (2015)

Prevalence of ragweed allergy in rural Geneva – a pilot study

  • Philip Taramarcaz
  • Leila Moetteli
  • Philippe Eigenmann
DOI
https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2015.14198
Cite this as:
Swiss Med Wkly. 2015;145:w14198
Published
18.10.2015

Summary

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of ragweed allergy is increasing worldwide. Ragweed distribution and abundance is spreading in Europe in a wide area ranging from the Rhone valley in France to Hungary and Ukraine, where the rate of the prevalence can peak at as high as 12%. Low-grade ragweed colonisation was seen in Geneva and Ticino, less than two decades ago. There were fears that allergies to ragweed would increase Switzerland. The intent of this study was to assess the rate of prevalence of sensitisation and allergy to ragweed in the population living in the first rural Swiss setting where ragweed had been identified in 1996, and to evaluate indirectly the efficacy of elimination and containment strategies.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 2009, 35 adults in a rural village in the Canton of Geneva were recruited. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and skin-prick tests were done on each participant. The study was approved by the local Ethics Committee.

RESULTS: Based on questionnaires, 48.6% had rhinitis (95% confidence interval [CI] 32.9–64.4; n = 17/35) and 17.1% asthma (95% CI 8.1–32.6; n = 6/35). Atopy was diagnosed in 26.4% (95% CI 12.9–44.4) of the sample (n = 9/34). Ragweed sensitisation was found in 2.9% (95% CI 0.7–19.7; n = 1/34), mugwort sensitisation in 2.9% (95% CI 0.1–14.9; n = 1/35), alder sensitisation in 17.1% (95% CI 6.6–33.6; n = 6/35), ash sensitisation in 12.5% (95% CI 3.5–29.0; n = 4/32) and grass sensitisation in 22.9% (95% CI 10.4–40.1; n = 8/35). Ragweed (95% CI 0.1–14.9; n = 1/34) and mugwort allergies (95% CI 0.1–14.9; n = 1/35) were both found in 2.9% of the population.

CONCLUSION: This study showed a surprisingly low incidence of ragweed sensitisation and allergy, of 2.9% and 2.9%, respectively, 20 years after the first ragweed detection in Geneva. The feared rise in ragweed allergy seems not to have happened in Switzerland, compared with other ragweed colonised countries. These results strongly support early field strategies against ragweed.

References

  1. Dessaint F, Chauvel B, Bretagnolle F. L’ambroisie. Chronique de l’extension d’un «polluant biologique» en France. Medecine/Sciences. 2005;21:207–9.
  2. Wopfner N, Gardermaier G, Egger M, Asero R, Ebner C, Jahn-Schmied B, Ferreira F, et al. The spectrum of allergens in Ragweed and Mugwort pollen. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2005;138:337–46.
  3. Taramarcaz P, Lambelet C, Clot B, Keimer C, Hauser C. Ragweed (Ambrosia) progression and its health risks: will Switzerland resist the invasion? Swiss Med Wkly. 2005;135:538–48.
  4. Frenz DA. Volumetric ragweed pollen data for eight cities in the continental United States. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1999;82:41–6.
  5. Kasprzyk I, Myszkowska D, Grewling L, Stach A, Skjøth CA, Smith M. The occurrence of Ambrosia pollen in Rzeszów, Kraków and Poznań, Poland: investigation of trends and possible transport of Ambrosia pollen from Ukraine. Int J Biometeorol. 2011;55(4):633–44.
  6. Smith M, Cecchi L, Skjøth CA, Karrer G, Šikoparija B. Common ragweed: A threat to environmental health in Europe. Environ Int. 2013;61:115–26.
  7. Burbach GC, Heinzerling LM, Röhnelt C, Bergmann K-C, Behrendt H, Zuberbier T. Ragweed sensitization in Europe – GA(2)LEN study suggests increasing prevalence. Allergy. 2009;64:664–5.
  8. Peternel R, Musić Milanović S, Srnec L. Airborne ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) pollen content in the city of Zagreb and implications on pollen allergy. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2008;15:125–30.
  9. Bundesamt für Gesundheit: Ambrosia: eine Pflanze die die Gesundheit Millionen Kostet. BAG Journal. 2005;30:528–9. German.
  10. Asero R. Ragweed allergy in northern Italy: are patterns of sensitization changing? Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012;44:157–9.
  11. International Primary Care Airways Group (IPAG) Handbook available at http://www.globalfamilydoctor.com.
  12. Juniper EF, O’Byrne PM, Guyatt GH, Ferrie PJ, King DR. Development and validation of a questionnaire to measure asthma control. Eur Respir J. 1999;14:902.
  13. Heinzerling LM, Burbach GJ, Edenharter G, Bachert C, Bindslev-Jensen C, Bonini S, Bousquet J, et al. GA(2)LEN skin test study I: GA(2)LEN harmonization of skin prick testing: novel sensitization patterns for inhalant allergens in Europe. Allergy. 2009;64:1498–506.
  14. Laaidi M, Laiidi K, Besancenot JP, Thibaudon M. Ragweed in France: an invasive plant and its allergenic pollen. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2003;91:195–201.
  15. Asero R. Analysis of new respiratory allergies in patients monosensitized to airborne allergens in the area north of Milan. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2004;14:208–13.
  16. Asero R. Birch and ragweed pollinosis north of Milan: a model to investigate the effects of exposure to ‘new’ airborne allergens. Allergy. 2002;57:1063–6.
  17. D’Amato G, Liccardi G, D’Amato M, Cazzola M. Outdoor air pollution, climatic changes and allergic bronchial asthma. Eur Respir J. 2002;20:763–76.
  18. Jäger S. Are there current trends of pollen change in Europe? EAACI Newsletter. 2006;9:15.
  19. Ziska LH, Gebhard DE, Frenz DA, Faulkner S, Singer BD, Straka JG. Cities as harbingers of climate change: common ragweed, urbanization, and public health. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;111:290–5.
  20. Delabays N, Lambelet C, Jeanmonod D, Keimer C, Clot B. L’ambroisie à feuille d’Armoise (Ambrosia Artemesifolia), une espèce à surveiller en Suisse Revue Suisse d’Agriculture. 2002;34:1.
  21. Bohren C, Mermillod G, Delabays N. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in Switzerland: developpement of a nationwide concerted action. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection. 2006;XX:457–503.
  22. Davet A, Clot B, Guibert S, Van Eck F, Gaudart M, Gumowski PI. Occurrence of ragweed pollen allergy and sensitization in the Geneva area from 1999 to 2004: the perspective from an allergy outpatient clinic. Swiss Med Wkly. 2007;137(Suppl 157):42.
  23. Delabays N, Bohren C, Mermillod G, Keimer C, Kündig C. 2005 l’ambroisie à feuille d’Armoise (Ambrosia Artemesifolia), en Suisse: aspect malherbologiques. Revue Suisse d’Agriculture. 2005;37:17–24.
  24. Delabays N, Bohren C, Mermillod G, Baker A, Vertenten J. Briser le cyle de l’ambroisie pour épuiser son stock semancier dans les sites infectés. Efficacité et optimisation des régimes de coupe. Revue suisse d’agriculture. 2008;40(3):143–9.
  25. Ackermann-Liebrich U, Schindler C, Frei P, Probst-Hensch NM, Imboden M, Gemperli A, Rochat T, et al. Sensitisation to Ambrosia in Switzerland: a public health threat in waiting. Swiss Med Wkly. 2009;139:70–5.
  26. Campagna E. Le problème de l’herbe à poux en Gaspésie [s.l.]
  27. Brandt A, Zuberbier T, Bergmann KC. Risk of sensitization and allergy in ragweed workers – a pilot study. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2014;10:42.
  28. Tosi A, Wüthrich B, Bonini M, Pietragalla-Köhler B. Time lag between Ambrosia sensitisation and Ambrosia allergy: a 20-year study (1989-2008) in Legnano, northern Italy. Swiss Med Wkly. 2011;141w13253.
  29. OGPE: Lutte contre les plantes exotiques envahissantes (neophytes) et suivi de leur évolution. Stratégie et plan d’action 2012–2023. http://etat.geneve.ch

Most read articles by the same author(s)