Information has appeared in the media that residents of the city of Atyrau are complaining about unbearable allergies. It is reported that citizens accustomed to living with seasonal allergies are feeling unwell more often and more severely than usual this year.
Medics believe the cause of the allergy lies in regional characteristics. The editorial board of FBRK speculated on what else the population's illness could be linked to.
Local residents claim that every year there are more and more allergy sufferers, writes Zakon.kz. Children also suffer from heightened hypersensitivity.
The symptoms of an allergy are very similar to those of a cold (watery eyes, stuffy nose, frequent sneezing, respiratory problems, coughing, etc.), but the usual cold remedies do not help, so antihistamines are in unusually high demand.
Getting an appointment with a specialist is also quite problematic. There is a shortage of allergists and immunologists in the region.
According to media reports citing the Atyrau Region Health Department, at the end of the first 6 months of 2024, 2,928 patients in the region were registered on the dispensary list with allergies, of whom 865 were under 18. And these are only those who turned to doctors; how many more people are self-medicating.
According to medics, the surge in allergies is contributed to by regional characteristics – the lack of rain, dust storms, high air temperatures and periodic hydrogen sulphide emissions.
In summer, weeds, such as wormwood, goosefoot and others, are also the most common cause of allergic diseases. It is noted that due to the excessive rise of groundwater this year, the amount of weeds has increased, and weeding started late.
Meanwhile, the FBRK editorial board reminds that for the second year running we are analysing which preparations are used to treat insects in the regions of Kazakhstan, and how much they can affect living organisms, including humans.
In May we wrote that, according to the city mayor's office, phytosanitary treatment of trees in the city of Atyrau is carried out from April to October. According to local doctors, the allergy season in the city lasts from July to October, meaning it coincides with the treatment period.
In 2024, the preparations 'Engeo', 'Izumi', 'Chlorcyrin', 'Cruiser' and 'Decis Expert', which are mainly intended for treating agricultural crops, were used for plant treatment in Atyrau.
The composition of the listed preparations includes the substances 'Deltamethrin', 'Thiamethoxam', 'Lambda-cyhalothrin', 'Chlorpyrifos' and 'Cypermethrin'.
We will briefly remind you of their toxic effects:
- 'Deltamethrin' is a potential allergen and can cause asthma in some people. In acute poisoning, a person experiences uncoordinated movements, shortness of breath, swelling, headache, convulsions, vomiting, and difficulty breathing.
- 'Thiamethoxam' belongs to the class of neonicotinoids, which act similarly to nicotine and have a harmful effect on various organs and tissues, particularly the liver and kidneys.
- 'Lambda-cyhalothrin' irritates the mucous membrane, negatively affects the human cardiovascular system and can lead to pulmonary oedema.
- 'Chlorpyrifos' increases the likelihood of having children with autism. When affecting an adult, it has a devastating impact on the human cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous systems.
- 'Cypermethrin' has a toxic effect on the male reproductive system, contributes to an increase in bone marrow micronuclei and the emergence of suicidal tendencies.
We also note that in 2023, during disinsection in the city of Atyrau, the preparations used were 'Dessinline', 'Thiametrin' and 'Flex Expert', the active ingredients of which are also known to be 'Deltamethrin', 'Thiamethoxam' and 'Lambda-cyhalothrin'.
Furthermore, in July, the FBRK editorial board surveyed regional mayors' offices as to whether they were ready to switch to using only biological preparations in insect control. To which the mayor's office of Atyrau reported the use of insecticidal agents, and ignored the question about switching to biological preparations.
Given the toxic effects of the aforementioned substances and the symptoms of the so-called 'allergy', which is only gaining momentum every year in the city of Atyrau, we assume that the disinsection being carried out (or more precisely, the preparations used during treatment) exacerbates the influence of the regional characteristics mentioned by medics, and contributes to illness, including allergic reactions in local residents.
In this regard, the FBRK editorial board calls on the authorities of the city of Atyrau to show concern for the population and strongly recommends considering the use of safer preparations in the fight against insects.