"Planting Artemisia annua on the One Side": There is no scientific evidence to prove that Artemisia annua is a direct allergen of rhinitis, and Ordos responded by "removing Artemisia annua on the Other Side"
Recently, the peak of medical visits caused by thunderstorm asthma in Hohhot and other areas of Inner Mongolia has attracted public attention. The pollen of Artemisia plants widely planted in the local area is widely considered as the main allergen for patients with allergic rhinitis.
Therefore, during the mature and spreading period of Artemisia pollen in July and August, many regions in Inner Mongolia carry out campaigns to eliminate Artemisia to reduce its impact on allergic populations. However, due to the fact that Artemisia plants are also local heroes in desertification control, there has been an awkward scene of "pulling out Artemisia while planting Artemisia".
Recently, a netizen pointed out on the message board of People's Daily that "the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Ordos City, disregarding the health of patients with allergic rhinitis to Artemisia annua, continues to sow Artemisia annua seeds by plane, which goes against the action of removing Artemisia annua."
In response to this, the Administrative Approval and Government Service Bureau and the Municipal Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Ordos City replied on August 10th, "During the process of aerial seeding and sand control in Ordos City, Artemisia annua is one of the important pioneer plant species in aerial seeding and sand control. In 2022, Ordos City completed the last task of aerial seeding and afforestation for the natural conservation project, with aerial seeding plant species including Yangchai, Huabang, and Artemisia annua."
The above response stated, "Regarding the health issues reported by netizens regarding the impact of aerial seeding of Artemisia annua on allergic rhinitis patients, firstly, the 50000 acre sowing area in 2022 is distributed in the hinterland of the Kubuqi Desert, belonging to the uninhabited area of distant sand and large sand; secondly, Artemisia annua is a pioneer plant species for sand control, with different physiological characteristics from Artemisia annua. It naturally disappears after 2-3 years of growth and has a significant sand fixation effect in the early stage of sand control, but after aerial seeding for many years, there are basically no preserved patches of Artemisia annua in the aerial seeding plot; thirdly, there is currently no clear scientific result proving that Artemisia annua is a direct allergen of rhinitis."
In September 2020, Outlook News Weekly reported that some local government departments in Inner Mongolia were planting Artemisia annua on one end and pulling it out on the other, without consensus and with significant differences, leaving the public at a loss. Liu Qingquan, Director of the Research Department of Inner Mongolia Forestry Research Institute, explained in an interview that "there is currently no authoritative institution to prove that Artemisia annua is the true allergen of allergic rhinitis."
Artemisia seed and Artemisia sand are both plants of the Artemisia genus. According to the website of the Ordos Municipal Government, "Artemisia annua" is a general term for black and white Artemisia annua. Among them, Artemisia annua is a super arid desert plant that grows on flowing or semi fixed sand dunes in desert areas and desert grassland areas; Black Artemisia annua is a dry and sandy plant that grows on fixed sand dunes, sandy land, and sandy soil.
It should be pointed out that some experts have pointed out that Artemisia annua is one of the main allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis. According to a report by Xinhua News Agency in March 2021, research has shown that Artemisia annua pollen is an important pathogenic pollen causing "hot weather pollen syndrome" in some areas of northwest China, and is the main cause of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Experts from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that Artemisia pollen is an important gas allergen worldwide, and about 11.3% of respiratory allergy patients in China are allergic to Artemisia pollen.
