What is a processionary and how are symptoms treated?

The Processionary of the Pine ( is a butterfly characterized by its stinging caterpillars. At the beginning of spring, they leave the nests hanging in the pines to bury themselves underground and finish their metamorphosis there. On occasions, it also affects cedars, firs and other tree species, causing them to lose their leaves and considerably weaken the forest mass. But, they can also represent an important health risk of ours.

Why are these caterpillars dangerous to health?

These caterpillars they have some tiny hairs that contain a stinging toxin (). The contact of these hairs with the skin is what can cause the symptoms. They could affect to anyone but more to the asthmatics due to the bronchial hyperresponsiveness they suffer, which increases the risk of suffering a severe one. These hairs can also affect our pets and livestock

To avoid skin reactions, it is important avoid any physical contact, not only with the caterpillars, but also with the pockets or with the affected trees. In addition, it must be taken into account that the hairs move in the air until they come into contact with people and animals.

Symptoms caused by processionary toxin

• Urticarial rash when the toxin from its hair comes into contact with our skin, which generally affects the neck, trunk and extremities. It is the most frequent and the least dangerous, although it can be extremely annoying.
• May cause respiratory problems, with greater probability in people with pathologies (asthmatics or patients with chronic respiratory problems) since they cause an inflammatory cascade in the skin and mucous membranes that can lead to airway obstruction, already constituting a medical emergency.
• When contacting our eyes and eyelidsAs well as the conjunctivae (allergic, generally in both eyes, binocular), they cause swelling (with fluid, edema) and difficulty in mobilizing them, as well as itching (pruritus).

Which is the treatment?

• Wash hands thoroughly
• Soothe itching and stinging with cold (cryotherapy), bagged ice cubes or "coldpacks"
• Apply in the area someantihistamine with / without anti-inflammatory.

When symptoms (“what we feel”) and signs (“what we see”) are more generalized, corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs and antihistamines (oral or parenteral, that is, intramuscular or intravenous) have their role. Faced with these most important symptoms, even if there is no respiratory distress, it is necessary to go to an Emergency medical service such as the ones offered, so that a doctor can make an assessment and prescribe the most appropriate treatment.

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Prevention is better than cure

As a more durable solution to avoid these pests in the affected area, it is always necessary to systematize the control and prevention treatments of this species by:

• Destruction of nests ("pockets")
• Use of insecticides
• Use of "pheromone traps"
• Installation of physical barriers avoiding the passage of pedestrians through the affected pine forests, until their treatment.

Family Medicine Specialist