Pollen from feral olives can cause ‘severe respiratory problems’
The expansion of olive production across the country could be leading to human health problems.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management says leaving fruit on trees after harvesting is causing feral olives to spread outside the grove.
Chief executive Rachel McFadyen says the pollen from feral olives can cause severe respiratory problems.
“Olive pollen is quite a severe allergen, that’s to say if people breath it they develop an allergy to it, and then they start to suffer from hay fever and sinusitis and eventually perhaps asthma,” she said.
“Our evidence is that at least 20 per cent of people who are regularly exposed to olive pollen will develop an allergy to it, it may be higher but [it is] at least 20 per cent, one in five.”
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Wednesday, October 4th, 2006 at 10:07 am under
