Ragweed as a Threat: Why Seasonal Allergies Have Become the Leading Problem in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and How to Combat Them
In Kabardino-Balkaria, ragweed pollen allergy is the leading allergy disorder, with an annual increase of approximately two thousand new patients.
Madina Shogenova, Chief Physician of the Allergology and Immunology Center, Chief Allergist-Immunologist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Ministry of Health, Doctor of Medical Sciences, and Professor at the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov, spoke to the university’s press service about the scale of the problem and modern methods of diagnosing and treating allergies.
Currently, the Allergy and Immunology Center of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the leading healthcare institution in this field in the North Caucasus Federal District, has approximately 100,000 registered patients. Approximately 30,000 people receive medical care annually. For comparison, in 2020, the total number of patients did not exceed 76,000. The Center comprises several departments: an outpatient clinic, an adult and pediatric allergy and immunology department, a resuscitation and intensive care unit, and an in-house laboratory. There are also pediatric and adult rehabilitation departments located in the mountainous climate region of Elbrus.
Every year, there is an increase in patients suffering from allergic diseases, the most common being seasonal allergy to ragweed pollen.
«In a single season, ragweed produces over a billion pollen grains, which can be transported by air over long distances—from several hundred to thousands of kilometers—causing allergy symptoms in patients from areas where the plant does not grow,» explains Madina Shogenova, Chief Physician of the Kabardino-Balkarian Center for Allergy and Immunology. «The danger of ragweed pollen allergens lies in their aggressive effect on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, which leads to the rapid development of bronchial asthma.» It has been scientifically proven that as few as ten pollen grains in one cubic meter can cause severe allergic reactions. The outer shell of the pollen grains contains apertures—holes through which the pollen grain’s contents reach the moist surface of the mucous membranes of the nose, conjunctiva, and bronchi. The allergens entering the body are not the pollen itself, but proteins contained in the pollen grain. These allergens settle deep in the bronchial tree and lead to the development of bronchial asthma within the first year of illness.
The Center provides state-of-the-art, world-class allergy diagnostics for this category of patients. Treatment involves modern inhalers containing three medications in a single inhalation. High-tech genetically engineered biological agents are widely used.
During the discussion, Madina Shogenova shared the results of a scientific study conducted at the Center for Allergology and Immunology in 2024. It revealed differences in the spectrum of causative allergens in the North Caucasus Federal District. Residents of Chechnya and Ingushetia are predominantly allergic to timothy grass, ragweed, and mugwort pollen. In Dagestan, sensitization to house dust mite allergens is prevalent. The population of Kabardino-Balkaria is distinguished by a predominance of ragweed pollen allergy.
Reasons for the Increase in Incidence and Treatment Methods
Allergic diseases are a global epidemiological problem worldwide, affecting 10-30% of the world’s population. According to statistics from the Center for Allergology and Immunology of the Ministry of Health of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, from 2000 to 2019, patients suffering from bronchial asthma were the most common allergy sufferer. In 2020, the prevalence of chronic spontaneous urticaria increased sharply. In recent years, the number of patients with ragweed pollen allergy has increased significantly. What’s causing these changes? The main threats are urbanization and global warming, which facilitate the long-distance spread of pollen.
Component-based allergy diagnostics have been introduced in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, allowing for the isolation of ragweed pollen molecules and the selection of treatment based on these molecules. A wide range of pharmacotherapeutic agents, genetically engineered biological therapy, and allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) are being used. In 2026, 323 patients, 223 of whom are children, were receiving ASIT therapy. The course of treatment lasts from 3 to 6 months and is administered for 3 to 5 years.
«The essence of ASIT therapy is that the immune system learns to suppress its response to the allergen. This occurs through the formation of blocking antibodies. Doctors inject gradually increasing doses of the allergen to which the patient has reacted into the middle third of the upper arm, helping the body to stop overreacting to the irritant,» explains Madina Shogenova. Allergic diseases are genetically determined and chronic, making a complete cure impossible. The main results of therapy are a reduction in symptoms, a reduction in the amount of medication required, and longer intervals between episodes, resulting in a milder course of the disease.
Madina Shogenova sees the development of the industry in improving allergy diagnostic methods and treatment, in the development of ASIT therapy, and in the development of new genetically engineered biological drugs for the treatment of allergic diseases. According to the expert, eradicating ragweed and reducing the number of patients suffering from ragweed allergies cannot be accomplished by doctors alone; the combined efforts of the medical and scientific communities and government agencies are necessary.