Posted on 09/22/2020 5:36:06 AM PDT by DoodleBob
Australia's stinging trees have leaves that look "a bit fuzzy and not that scary" when you first see them, says pain researcher Irina Vetter. But don't be fooled.
"If you look closely, you can see that the fuzziness is actually just tiny little silica needles that are filled with fluid, which really we can think about as a venom now," Vetter told As It Happens host Carol Off.
"And it gets injected into your skin sort of in a fashion like a hypodermic needle."
Vetter, a pain researcher at the University of Queensland, has co-authored a new study examining the molecular structure of the poison produced by Australia's Dendrocnide excelsa tree.
The researchers discovered the leaves produce a previously unidentified type of neurotoxin that targets pain receptors in much the same way as the venom of a poisonous spider or scorpion.
The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, could have implications for how we treat chronic pain. 'It's a bit unpleasant, to say the least'
Dendrocnide excelsa is part of a family of stinging trees in Australia, which are locally known as gympie-gympie trees.
Much like the common nettle found in North America and Europe, the gympie-gympie's leaves release a substance that causes a sharp burning and stinging sensation on the skin — but it's much, much worse.
"Over the hours, as it progresses, you get sort of weird buzzing, crawling and shooting pains. And this can actually be triggered for days and weeks afterwards just by having a shower, for example, or scratching the stung area," Vetter said.
"It's a bit unpleasant, to say the least."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbc.ca ...
Everything in Australia is dangerous.
What is it with that continent?
Triffids. Yep, it’s 2020
If you’ve ever been weeding a garden and happen to grab some stinging nettles, watch out! It hurts for a couple of hours. I can’t imagine having that pain for days. I’ve worn gloves when weeding ever since.
LOL, probably accurate.
That’s why I vacation in Europe.
Need to change the word “animals” to “things”, because everything in that picture could kill you.
....though Louisiana gives Australia a run for their money from what I've seen and heard.
Predicting the “Gimpy-Gimpy Challenge” will become a fad on social media.
I plan on never visiting either.
We could distribute some of the plants at a Biden Rally and tell them it’s Australian cannibus..
Eat a tide pod, take a bong hit, then sting yourself.
Just upload in to Tik Tok. Some retard will do it.
Never had a desire to go to Australia. New Zealand looks good but not now with their stupid shutdown.
I have locusts, plague, pestilence, raining frogs, and genocide...
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