BBC NEWS | England | London

Kew Gardens is reassuring visitors after a potentially deadly exotic
moth was discovered at the centre.
Nests built by the Oak Processionary Moth have been found at the Royal
Botanical Gardens in west London.

The creatures can set off severe allergic reactions and irritate the
lungs, eyes and skin as well as stripping leaves from oak trees.

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6052524.stm

NickTheBatMan wrote ...
> Kew Gardens is reassuring visitors after a potentially deadly exotic
> moth was discovered at the centre.
> Nests built by the Oak Processionary Moth have been found at the Royal
> Botanical Gardens in west London.
>
> The creatures can set off severe allergic reactions and irritate the
> lungs, eyes and skin as well as stripping leaves from oak trees.
>
> More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6052524.stm

I've heard that tropical processionary caterpillars have been known to cause
human fatalities and the Oak Processionary can be fatal if the hairs are
inhaled or injested by pets such as dogs. There was a nasty outbreak
amongst American personnel in Heidelberg in June 1995, when more than 140
soldiers and civilians sought treatment for an acute pruritic rash within a
seven day period, which was traced back to the Oak Processionary. However
there's no report of anything worse than nasty itching.

Big news in the UK of course - but I doubt that the Aussies would give such
a scare a second thought - our wildlife is wimpy by comparison!

David

	#1
NickTheBatMan	BBC NEWS \| England \| London \| Kew visitors reassured over moths Kew Gardens is reassuring visitors after a potentially deadly exotic moth was discovered at the centre. Nests built by the Oak Processionary Moth have been found at the Royal Botanical Gardens in west London. The creatures can set off severe allergic reactions and irritate the lungs, eyes and skin as well as stripping leaves from oak trees. More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6052524.stm

	#2
David Lee	Re: BBC NEWS \| England \| London \| Kew visitors reassured over moths NickTheBatMan wrote ... > Kew Gardens is reassuring visitors after a potentially deadly exotic > moth was discovered at the centre. > Nests built by the Oak Processionary Moth have been found at the Royal > Botanical Gardens in west London. > > The creatures can set off severe allergic reactions and irritate the > lungs, eyes and skin as well as stripping leaves from oak trees. > > More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6052524.stm I've heard that tropical processionary caterpillars have been known to cause human fatalities and the Oak Processionary can be fatal if the hairs are inhaled or injested by pets such as dogs. There was a nasty outbreak amongst American personnel in Heidelberg in June 1995, when more than 140 soldiers and civilians sought treatment for an acute pruritic rash within a seven day period, which was traced back to the Oak Processionary. However there's no report of anything worse than nasty itching. Big news in the UK of course - but I doubt that the Aussies would give such a scare a second thought - our wildlife is wimpy by comparison! David