Taramarcaz P, Lambelet B, Clot B, Keimer C, Hauser C
Service of Allergology and Immunology, University Hospital of Geneva and Medical School, Switzerland.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2005 Sep 17;135(37-38):538-48. doi: 10.4414/smw.2005.11201.
The purpose of this article is to alert physicians for the environmental and health threats of Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) in Switzerland. Switzerland borders several heavily ragweed colonised areas. Up to 12% of the population suffers from allergies (hay fever, asthma) to ragweed pollen in these areas. Switzerland is beginning to be invaded by this plant. Currently, the ragweed pollen counts are still low but can reach local peaks that induce symptoms in allergic individuals. Ragweed allergy, however, is still rare in Switzerland. Because the amount of ragweed pollen was increasing in the last few years, identification and surveillance of ragweed plant foci was started. Colonisation is currently systematically monitored in Geneva and southern Tessin. Major accumulation of ragweed foci have been detected in the canton of Geneva, the western shore of the lake of Geneva belonging to the canton of Vaud, and in the southern part of the canton of Tessin, aside from minor foci registered all over Switzerland. The routes of ragweed invasion are presented and discussed. Current measures of ragweed containment and needs for the future are presented. The urge for these measures at an early stage of ragweed spread is underlined by the impracticability of eradication in highly colonised areas. The costs of preventing ragweed spread in Switzerland are likely to be several magnitudes lower than the treatment of a significant percentage of the Swiss population for ragweed pollen allergy. Because areas can change from low to heavy ragweed colonisation within a few years, the current window of opportunity to prevent further colonisation by ragweed should not be missed.
本文旨在提醒医生注意瑞士豚草（普通豚草）对环境和健康的威胁。瑞士与几个豚草大量繁殖的地区接壤。在这些地区，高达12%的人口对豚草花粉过敏（枯草热、哮喘）。瑞士正开始受到这种植物的入侵。目前，豚草花粉计数仍然很低，但可能会达到导致过敏个体出现症状的局部峰值。然而，豚草过敏在瑞士仍然很少见。由于过去几年豚草花粉数量不断增加，因此开始了豚草植物疫源地的识别和监测工作。目前正在对日内瓦和提契诺州南部进行系统性的定植监测。除了在瑞士各地发现的小疫源地外，在日内瓦州、属于沃州的日内瓦湖西岸以及提契诺州南部发现了大量豚草疫源地。文中介绍并讨论了豚草的入侵途径。介绍了当前控制豚草的措施以及未来的需求。在豚草传播的早期阶段采取这些措施的紧迫性因在高度定植地区根除豚草的不切实际性而凸显。在瑞士，预防豚草传播的成本可能比治疗相当比例的瑞士人口的豚草花粉过敏症的成本低几个数量级。由于地区可能在几年内从豚草低定植转变为高定植，不应错过当前防止豚草进一步定植的机会之窗。
