Heading to Islamabad, Lahore or southern China in spring, or visiting family there? Paper mulberry is one of the heaviest pollen producers in those regions and a major spring hay fever trigger. Our test checks IgE to paper mulberry pollen as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, next to the grasses and hemp that share its season.
Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) is a fast-growing tree from East Asia, named after its bark, which has been used for paper and tapa cloth for centuries. It belongs to the mulberry family (Moraceae), with mulberries and figs.
Male trees release enormous amounts of light pollen. In Islamabad, where it was planted on a large scale, it has been declared a pest and its spring pollen counts are among the highest recorded anywhere.
Not much at home. Paper mulberry is rare in Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany, and it is not a recognised hay fever pollen there. It matters for people who live in, travel to or come from Pakistan, northern India and parts of China.
If you grew up in one of those regions or spend spring there, it is worth knowing whether your blood shows IgE to it. In southwest China it has been described as an important cause of allergic rhinitis.
People describe intense spring hay fever: sneezing, a streaming or blocked nose and itchy eyes. In people with asthma, high pollen days are linked to flare-ups. A study in Islamabad found asthma exacerbations rising and falling with paper mulberry counts in sensitised patients.
From a finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to a whole paper mulberry pollen extract as part of 300 allergens and allergen components. Hemp pollen, grasses and weeping fig, a relative from the same plant family, are on the same report. So are profilin (Phl p 12) and polcalcin (Phl p 7), two pan-allergens that can make several pollen extracts test positive together.
A positive result means your blood shows IgE to paper mulberry pollen. That is sensitisation, not a diagnosis. Each value gets a class from Negative to Very high, to discuss with a doctor.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Paper mulberry usually pollinates from late February into April, peaking in March. Pollen forecasts in Islamabad track it closely because counts can be extremely high for a few weeks.
Paper mulberry was planted widely when the city was built and spread quickly. Male trees release huge amounts of pollen in spring, which makes it the city's dominant spring allergen. Many residents and visitors report hay fever and asthma flare-ups in March.
No. Paper mulberry (Broussonetia) and the fruit mulberries (Morus) are different genera in the same family. The panel measures paper mulberry pollen, not mulberry fruit.
