Are many people allergic to urushiol oil?
Approximately 85 percent of the population will develop an allergic reaction if exposed to poison ivy, oak, or sumac, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (For more information about poison ivy and contact dermatitis, visit the American Academy of Dermatology at www.aad.org). Nearly one-third of forestry workers and firefighters who battle forest fires in California, Oregon and Washington develop rashes or lung irritations from contact with poison oak, which is the most common of the three in those states.
