UB Poison Prevention

Poisonous Plants and Insects

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Poisonous Plants

The following is a list of household plants which are poisonous if eaten. These plants should be kept out of reach of children. If a child does eat any part of these plants, you should call your local Poison Control Center immediately.

Aloe Vera - Ingestion of the latex, or juices, of this plant cause vomiting due to irritation of the large intestine.

Poinsettia - The leaves and the sap of this plant can cause stomach pain.

English Ivy - Eating the leaves of this plant causes a severe reaction including difficulty breathing, convulsions, vomiting, paralysis, and coma.

Azalea - All parts of this plant can be mildly poisonous if eaten

Holly - Vomiting and diarrhea can occur if the berries are eaten.

Mistletoe - Eating the berries of this plant can cause death if not immediately treated.

Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac can all cause allergic skin reactions. The following explains how the skin reaction occurs and how you can prevent and treat it.

    1. The oil is the part of the plant which causes the allergic reaction. It can be transferred to the skin through
        direct contact or indirectly through a pet, clothing or a tool that came in contact with the oil. The oil can cause
        this reaction many years after it was produced by the plant, so it is a good idea to wash any gardening tools
        which you suspect having touched any of these plants.
    2. If a rash breaks out and swelling occurs within 4 to 12 hours of exposure, the person should be taken to
        the hospital as soon as possible. These are signs of a severe allergic reaction.
    3. Typically a rash which looks like a line of blisters will appear in 12 to 24 hours after exposure. The blisters
        will sting and itch for approximately 10 days.
    4. The blisters will then break open and a clear yellow fluid will come out from the sores. There will scab
    o    ver and healing should occur after 2 to 3 weeks.
    5. The best protection is to avoid areas in which poison ivy is located. If you are going into a wooded area,
        Ivy Block is a non-prescription lotion which can help to protect you.
    6. If you are exposed to poison ivy, a new product called Zanfel will remove the oil from the skin. Also,
        rubbing alcohol followed by warm water and soap can aid in removing the oil. These will only work
        immediately following exposure, not once the rash has broken out.

Poisonous Bites and Stings

Insect Bites
    1. Can be caused by bees, hornets, and wasps.
    2. Take the person to the hospital as soon as possible if they develop hives or a rash, nausea and vomiting, a
        lot of swelling, or difficulty breathing occurs. These are signs of anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergic reaction.
        If you or your child is known to be allergic to bee stings, you should always carry a bee sting treatment kit.
    3. If the stinger remains in the skin, scrape it away with a flat edged object such as a credit card. Do NOT try
        to remove it with tweezers because that causes more pressure on the venom sack and more poison to be
        released.
    4. Wash the site well with soap and water. Apply a cold pack to reduce pain and swelling

Ticks
    1. Ticks can transmit disease. The wood tick or dog tick can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The signs
        of this bite include spotted rash on the wrists and ankles which spreads to other parts of the body, fever
        and chills, severe headache, and joint/muscle pain.
    2. Ticks from field mice and deer can spread Lyme disease. The symptoms are a "bull's eye" like rash at the
        site of the bite, rash anywhere on the body, fever, chills, headache, weakness, muscle aches, and flu-like
        symptoms.
    3. An embedded tick can be removed using tweezers and by pulling slowly, steadily, and firmly.

Spiders
1. Spider bites most often occur when people reach into wood, rocks, brush piles, and dark garages and attics.
2. Two spiders, the black widow and the brown recluse, can make people seriously ill.

Snakes
1. The four poisonous snakes in the U.S. are the rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin, and the coral snake.
2. Take the victim to the hospital immediately. Do NOT apply ice to the wound, and do NOT cut the wound.

Marine Life
    1. Jellyfish, sea anemones, and man-of-war produce a poison which causes stinging and can make a person ill.
    2. To reduce the pain and off set the toxin in these stings, soak the area in vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or baking
    soda paste.
    3. Do NOT rub the wound or apply fresh water or ammonia.