In August 2004, almost at the same time, employees of both Volkswagen and Audi AG developed skin irritations on their legs, arms and trunk. While those who showed signs of eccema at Volkswagen had repaired crash barriers after an accident involving the use of fire-extinguisher foam at their testing grounds in Ehra-Lessien (a wooded area with mainly pine-trees). Audi’s a f f licted workers had changed t yres of c ars which had been driven on those same testing grounds. As a dermatitis caused by the used fire extinguisher foam could be excluded, erucism (caterpillar dermatitis) was diagnosed as a result of the correspondence of the season and the clinical symptoms. The pine processionary caterpillar is found in these regions and has been demonstrated on the testing grounds. Its caterpillar hair can not only have toxic effects but can also cause (pseudo)allergic reaction of the skin and even the respiratory tract. In the automobile industry it is necessary to take precautionary measures and to communicate these to employees at testing grounds and in the repair workshops, especially to persons changing tyres. The diagnosis erucism should be included in differential diagnostic consideration.
