Urushiol Rash Information

  • Up to 70-85% of Americans are susceptible urushiol oil found in poison ivy, sumac or oak
  • 35 and 50 million people annually develop severe rhus dermatitis from exposure to urushiol (Dermatology Insights, 4 (1), 26, 2003, Am Acad Derm)
    • 25% severe contact dermatitis, Severe rash with 1 nanogram!
  • Seek medical treatment or advice
    • Severe discomfort
    • Potential infection
    • Face, arm and genital swelling
    • Treatment with antibiotics and steroid
  • Poison ivy increasing with rising CO2 levels. 
    • (Main, D. Why poison ivy is an unlikely climate change winner, National Geographic Published April 18, 2023) 
  • Increasingly ‘‘toxic’’, potentially affecting global forest dynamics and human health.