Press Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Capezzuto
(973) 972-7273
E-mail: capezzta@umdnj.edu

At UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
UMDNJ Allergist Warns Nature Lovers, Outdoor Activists of Dangers of Wild Hogweed

Exposure to Rare Weed Can Cause Permanent Blindness, Skin Damage

If you hunt or fish near a river or stream, be aware that a wild and exotic weed may be growing there that could cause permanent blindness or severe scarring of the skin, warns an allergist with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

The plant is called giant hogweed, a huge and expansive member of the parsley or carrot family which typically grows more than 10 feet tall, is characterized by a thick, dark purple stem and leaves that vaguely resemble rhubarb that can extend to five feet across, according to Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. The flowering heads look like a giant Queen Anne's face and may grow some two feet above the stalk.

The flowers emit a clear, watery sap that causes photo-sensitivity, which can result in painful, severe irritation and blistering burns that turn into black scars on the skin's surface, Dr. Bielory said. Contact with eyes can lead to permanent blindness.

The plant, which is indigenous to the Caucasus Mountains in Russia and parts of southwestern Asia, was introduced to New Jersey as a garden ornamental. Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture destroyed a giant hogweed in Mendham in Morris County, but officials fear that the spread of seeds from the plant's flowering heads could cause it to spread rapidly in an area.

"I would recommend that anyone who has come into contact with this weed seek immediate medical attention, including having the affected area of skin treated with topical steroids to prevent potential permanent skin damage," Dr. Bielory said. "In some instances, prescription antibiotics may be necessary."

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