Insect bites and stings

Considerations:
If bitten or stung by an insect, try to kill it and have it identified (if it can be done quickly and doing so does not present a risk).

Most bites and stings do not require emergency medical care. However, possible complications to insect bites and stings include: allergic reaction , infection, disease, reaction to venom (see wasp and bee poison documents), toxic reaction, or shock . Allergic reactions to bee stings happen in less than 1 out of every 10 victims.

Make sure the victim is current on tetanus immunizations.

Causes:



Symptoms:



Do not:

  • DO NOT raise the site of the bites above the level of the victim's heart.
  • DO NOT apply a tourniquet.
  • DO NOT give the victim stimulants , aspirin, or other pain medication unless prescribed by the doctor.
  • DO NOT allow the victim to exercise . If necessary, carry the victim to safety.



Call Your Healthcare Provider if:

  • the victim is having a severe reaction or the victim has been stung inside the mouth or throat. Call ahead to the emergency room so that they can prepare the appropriate antivenom.



First Aid:
1. Check the victim's airway, breathing and circulation. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR .

2. If the victim is having breathing problems , keep the airway open. Do not let the victim lie down.

3. Reassure the victim. Try to keep him or her calm as anxiety will worsen the situation.

4. If the sting is from a honey bee, remove the stinger. Do not use tweezers since pinching the stinger will cause more venom to be released.

5. Wash the site with soap and lukewarm water.

6. Cover the site with a clean, cold compress or a clean, moist dressing to reduce swelling and discomfort.

7. Remove rings and constricting items because the affected area may swell.

8. Keep the victim still and place the injured site in a comfortable position but below the level of the victim's heart.

9. Give first aid for an allergic reaction if necessary.

10. If appropriate, treat the victim for signs of shock . Remain with the victim until you get medical help.

11. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, observe the site for signs of infection (such as increasing redness, swelling, pain).

FOR TICK BITES:
1. Avoid pulling out a tick that is embedded in the skin. When this happens, often the head is left under the skin. Instead, try to suffocate the tick by covering it with a substance like petroleum jelly or mineral oil. If the tick does not release at once, wait 20 minutes, and then carefully pull it out with tweezers. Make sure all the parts of the tick are removed.

2. Clean the area with soap and water.

3. If all the parts of the tick cannot be removed, get medical help.

4. Watch carefully for the next week or two for signs of Lyme disease .

Prevention:
Avoid confrontation with insects whenever possible.


Besides causing itching and large red bites, bedbugs can carry relapsing fever, Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis (found in South America and Mexico), and possibly hepatitis. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a black widow spider. Note the red "hour glass" on the abdomen. The bite of the black widow produces severe symptoms but is seldom fatal, except in children less than 3 years old and adults over 55 years old. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a magnified view of a body louse. Lice produce itching and a characteristic excoriated skin rash (looks like a scrape). They may also carry relapsing fever, typhus, and trench fever. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Different types of fleas prefer specific animals as hosts, but will infest humans if their specific hosts are unavailable. Fleas can carry plague (the Black Death) and murine typhus. They are also thought to be vectors in several other diseases. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Flies are thought to carry disease by transporting infectious agents on their feet. They may spread polio, hepatitis A, Entameba histalytica, typhoid, and other diseases. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This illustration notes the basic characteristics of adult insects in general. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



The kissing bug can carry relapsing fever and Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis). (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a magnified photograph of a mite. Mites are carriers (vectors) of many important diseases including typhus (scrub and murine) and rickettsialpox. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



There are many different species of mosquito, some of which carry some of the worlds most common and most economically important infectious diseases. Malaria and yellow fever are two of the most important diseases they carry. Others include encephalitis (viral), dengue fever, and leishmaniasis. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still or stagnant water. The eggs hatch into a carnivorous larval stage before developing into flying mosquitoes. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This picture shows mosquito larvae, most of which will become blood-sucking, disease-carrying mosquitoes. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



These are mosquito pupa. This is another stage in the development of the mosquito. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Wasps are not known to carry human diseases, but allergic reactions to their sting can be fatal. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Facial paralysis (palsy) may be associated with Lyme disease. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Andrea Kiesk M.D., Marquette Clinic, Marquette, MI.)



Centers for Disease Control (CDC) maintain statistics on diseases, including Lyme disease. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



Bedbugs ingest blood. The saliva contains an irritant which causes an elevated wheal on the skin. Bedbugs are about 4 to 5 millimeters in length and can live for up to a year without feeding. Cleanliness is usually sufficient to control bedbugs, but in larger numbers, they may be killed with appropriate insecticides.



This is a bot fly bite on the hand. The larvae of Bot flies (Dermatobia hominis) can live in human tissue. A single larva can produce a sore that appears similar to a furuncle (boil). The larvae inside should be removed surgically.



This larva of the Bot fly (Dermatobia hominis) has been removed from a Bot fly bite. The bite appears similar to a boil.



The brown recluse spider is the second most recognized poisonous spider in the United States (the black widow is the first). Its toxin causes tissue death (necrosis) at the site of the bite, shown here on the back.



Fleas are blood-feeding insects. Pain and itching results from an allergic reaction to the materials that the fleas inject into the skin at the time of the bite.



This is a 2 to 3 centimeter wide blood-filled (hemorrhagic) blister ( bullae) that has resulted from an insect bite. It is located on the wrist. Bullae formation and tissue necrosis (death) are more common with spider bites, but may also be caused by insect bites.



Insect bites may be grouped, raised (papular), hive-like (urticarial) and have a surrounding halo. Occasionally a central depression, or punctum, can be seen.



This is a photograph of Pediculus humanus var. capitis, a head louse, emerging from an egg. Head lice have become an increasing problem in schools and day care centers. Some grade schools have started programs to examine children for head lice.



This is a photograph of a male Pediculus humanus var. capitis, a head louse, as seen from the top. Head lice have become an increasing problem in schools and day care centers. Some grade schools have started programs to examine children for head lice.



This is a photograph of a female Pediculus humanus var. capitis, a head louse, as seen from the top. Head lice have become an increasing problem in schools and day care centers. Some grade schools have started programs to examine children for head lice.



This is a close-up picture of lice egg sacks (nits) in the hair. They cling to individual hair shafts. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



These lice are Pediculus humanus, or body lice. Other types of lice infest the scalp, head (Pediculus humanus capitis), and the pubic area (Rhthirus pubis). Some body lice may carry diseases such as epidemic typhus, relapsing fever, or trench fever. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a magnified view of a female body louse with larvae. Lice cause itching and a characteristic excoriated skin rash (looks like a scrape). They may also transmit diseases, including relapsing fever, typhus, and trench fever. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a photomicrograph of a female pubic louse. The condition known as "crabs" is so named because of the resemblance of a pubic louse to a crab. The bodies of pubic lice are shorter and rounder than those of head lice. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)



This is a photomicrograph of a male pubic louse. The condition known as "crabs" is so named because of the resemblance of a pubic louse to a crab. The bodies of pubic lice are shorter and rounder than those of head lice.



This photograph shows pubic lice clinging to individual hairs (the small, whitish specks). The reddish, crusted areas with scabs (excoriated areas) are caused by scratching. (Courtesy of the Cneters for Disease Control.)



This picture compares the relative size and shape of the head louse and the pubic louse.



This lesion was produced by the bite of a brown recluse spider. Brown recluse are one of two spiders in the United States that are considered poisonous (the other is the black widow). However, the Hobo spider can also produce bites that require medical attention.