Annals of West University of Timişoara, ser. Biology, 2015, vol XVIII (1), pp. 43-54 43 HEALTH IMPACT OF AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA REFLECTED BY ALLERGISTS PRACTICE IN ROMANIA. A QUESTIONNAIRE –BASED SURVEY Polliana Mihaela LERU 1 , Dumitru MATEI 1 , Nicoleta IANOVICI 2 1 Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Romania 2 West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Chemistry-Biology-Geography, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Pestalozzi 16, Timisoara, Romania Corresponding author e-mail: polianaleruu@yahoo.com Received 29 December 2014; accepted 27 May 2015 ABSTRACT Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) is an invasive weed with pollen representing one of the most potent seasonal aeroallergenes. Romania is considered a ragweed infested country, based on field observations performed in different regions, pollen counts done in the West region and some clinical reports from allergists in the West and South parts. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the situation of allergies induced by Ambrosia artemisiifolia from the perspective of allergists practice in Romania and to draw some conclusions regarding consequences and possible measures to reduce this burden. The study was based on a questionnaire addressed to allergists attending the national annual allergology conference in 2013. The answers showed that part of the allergists are aware of the importance of allergies induced by Ambrosia pollen. We concluded that research projects in this field, application of eradication measures and public information are important for increase awareness of people about health impact of Ambrosia pollen in Romania. KEY WORDS: allergy, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, health impact INTRODUCTION Respiratory allergic diseases, mainly allergic rhinitis and asthma represent an important health problem in Europe. It is estimated that about 40% of European population suffer different forms of pollen-induced allergies. Pollen-induced allergies have an increasing trend and significant consequences on quality of life of sensitized population. Climate changes, cultural factors, changes in agricultural practice and intensification of international traffic are contributing to the expansion of some allergenic pollens, such as Ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed) in many European countries rise important problems for both national health systems and European authorities (D'Amato et al, 2007). Biodiversity loss, exposure to ozone and air pollution has also been shown to influence allergic disease (Oswalt & Marshall, 2008; Haahtela et al, 2013). Artificial environment with life style in urban areas may contribute to increasing frequency of respiratory allergy and asthma (D'Amato, 2011). Ambrosia artemisiifolia is one of the most common causes of respiratory allergy in North America. Over 20% of people in the United States are sensitized to