Fears have been raised that toxic caterpillars are returning to the UK after homeowners reveal they have broken out in mysterious rashes triggered by a brush with the insect.
Oak processionary moths (OPM) are covered in thousands of hairs which produce a toxin called thamentopoein that is capable of causing severe skin reactions, asthma attacks and vomiting.
Each caterpillar has 63,000 hairs which can be carried in the wind or fired off as the caterpillars defend themselves.
There have been claims from people who say they have broken out in hives after coming into contact with a caterpillar.
The Forestry Commission is responsible for mapping the spread of the moth during its annual emergence and has said there is no official record of them having reached the UK this season.
But Britney Comayas, 22, from Milton Keynes, claims she broke out in a mysterious and severe rash after coming into contact with a caterpillar, which she believes to be an OPM.
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A plague of toxic caterpillars that cause life-threatening asthma attacks, vomiting and skin rashes has returned to the UK, officials warn. They have been spotted in the south east of London
Image shows a person’s skin reaction after being exposed to the caterpillars’ highly toxic hairs. Each caterpillar has 63,000 hairs and health experts have warned that you don’t even need to be in direct contact with them to be affected
She said she was visiting her parents last Thursdsay with her two year old son Shane when she thinks she brushed past the caterpillar.
She said: ‘I reckon my rashes are from that [caterpillar] because as soon as I arrived in Milton Keynes last week I started getting a rash and it spread everywhere.
‘It started with two red spots on my arm but by the next morning my spots were spreading and it looked like chicken pox.’
But when Ms Comayas spoke to doctors and A&E staff she was left without any answers.
She said: ‘No doctors know what it is, I’ve taken fexofenadine and acicclovir (both antihistamines) and put calamine lotion but I still have the rash, and it’s very itchy.’
The exact caterpillar remains unconfirmed, with the possibility of it being a brown-tail moth which can cause a similar rash, but less severe symptoms than the OPM.
A Forestry Commission spokesperson said: ‘We are working with Local Authorities and land managers to share best practice and to deliver a control programme of surveillance and treatment to tackle Oak Processionary Moth (OPM).
‘The majority of the UK is a designated Protected Zone for this pest and we have recently strengthened import controls on oak trees to mitigate against further risks.
‘The pest is a native of southern Europe and first discovered in the UK in 2005.
‘The OPM caterpillars, or larvae, emerge in spring and feed on oak leaves leaving the trees vulnerable to other pests and diseases.’
This 2016 image shows how the annual invasion of the caterpillars spreads throughout the south west of the country every year
Image shows skin irritation after exposure to the pests’ hairs. Other symptoms include causing eye and throat irritations, vomiting, dizziness and fever
The Forestry Commission have asked the public to report any sightings of the caterpillar, or their white web looking nest, online.
The moths – which are highly toxic in their caterpillar stage – first invaded the UK from mainland Europe in 2015 after oak trees were imported from Holland, and pose a hazard to humans, pets and livestock.
Hairs on the caterpillars – which live in and feed off oak trees – cause the health concerns which could have serious implications for a person’s health.
The oak processionary moth lays its eggs on oak trees and its larvae leave their nests to feed on oak leaves – and once they have stripped a tree bare they move on to the next tree – following one another in a procession, hence their name.
The nests, which are white and the size of a tennis ball, contain hundreds of caterpillars, which are about two-inches (5cm) long.
Oak processionary moths (OPM) are covered in thousands of hairs to protect them which contain dangerous toxins capable of triggering severe reactions, asthma attacks and vomiting
The moths can defoliate oak trees but the main concern comes from their 63,000 hairs. They are distinguishable by their incredibly hairy bodies and white, silk-like nests on oak tress
WHAT ARE OAK PROCESSIONARY MOTHS?
The oak processionary moth (OPM) is a non-native moth that has become established in parts of London and surrounding areas.
It can defoliate oak trees but the main concern comes from their 63,000 hairs.
They are distinguishable by their incredibly hairy bodies and white, silk-like nests on oak tress.
Hairs on the caterpillars, which feed off oak trees, contain toxins that cause severe dizziness, fever, and eye and throat irritations.
The oak processionary moth lays its eggs on oak trees and its larvae leave their nests to feed on oak leaves.
Once they have stripped a tree bare they move on to the next tree – following one another in a procession, hence their name.
The pests nest on oak trees, leaving white, silk-like trails that are around a tennis ball in size
