This dangerous skin-melting plant is sweeping the world
Moments after gathering a giant hogweed plant with her bare hands, 10-year-old Lauren Fuller's hands began to melt as she suffered third-degree burns. The girl may now need skin grafts.
Fuller was on a fishing trip with her father when she snatched up the poisonous weed. Within 24 hours she had red burns all over her hands and cheeks.Fuller isn't the first person to suffer from giant hogweeds. Daily Star reported that three young children received serious burns after coming into contact with the plant at country parks.
The plant poses danger due to its photo-sensitising furancourmarins. The chemical prevents the body from protecting itself from UV light. Essentially, the plant makes bodies susceptible to intense sunburns and blisters.
From just one touch of the dangerous plant, one's skin can remain sensitive to light for up to seven years. The plant currently poses a safety threat to young children as it typically thrives in June and July.
Fuller's dad, Russell, said:
"They put these little gloves on her to cover the blisters and when they took them off a couple of hours later her skin had completely melted. Lauren is a tough little cookie but she was crying a lot. She was in a lot of pain and she was really worried about what we going to happen to her hands."
Russell went on to say:
"I want other people to know that this plant is out there and to be aware of how dangerous it is. What happened to Lauren was terrifying and I would honestly really hate for any other parent to go through what Charlotte and I have gone through. We had no idea what was going on and the hospital didn't either. We had to use Google to diagnose Lauren's symptoms ourselves and the specialist said she hadn't seen anything like it for 20 years."
The children who have recently come into contact with the poisonous plant reside in Loch Lomond, Scotland and Manchester, England.
Hogweed Horror - SIXTH child suffers horrific burns after touching wild plant http://t.co/8MLRNpLbr3pic.twitter.com/Yo6zIKP7h7
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 13, 2015
Pictures of the giant hogweeds:
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