Caterpillar Venom: A Health Hazard of the 21st Century

Abstract

Caterpillar envenomation is a global health threat in the 21st century. Every direct or indirect contact with the urticating hairs of a caterpillar results in clinical manifestations ranging from local dermatitis symptoms to potentially life-threatening systemic effects. This is mainly due to the action of bioactive components in the venom that interfere with targets in the human body. The problem is that doctors are limited to relieve symptoms, since an effective treatment is still lacking. Only for Lonomia species an effective antivenom does exist. The health and economical damage are an underestimated problem and will be even more of a concern in the future. For some caterpillar species, the venom composition has been the subject of investigation, while for many others it remains unknown. Moreover, the targets involved in the pathophysiology are poorly understood. This review aims to give an overview of the knowledge we have today on the venom composition of different caterpillar species along with their pharmacological targets. Epidemiology, mode of action, clinical time course and treatments are also addressed. Finally, we briefly discuss the future perspectives that may open the doors for future research in the world of caterpillar toxins to find an adequate treatment.

Animal Venoms—Curse or Cure?

“…The “curse” aspect of venoms is covered in a number of contributions. For example, the review articles by Ahmadi et al [ 59 ] and Seldeslachts et al [ 60 ] discuss the dangers that venomous scorpions and caterpillars pose to humans, but they also provide insights into current and future treatment options, such as the next-generation recombinant antivenoms [ 59 ]. Two contributions from Jeroen Kool’s group examine the usefulness of the small-molecule PLA2 inhibitor Varespladib as a potential drug for the treatment of snake bites.…”

What’s Eating You? Megalopyge opercularis

“…There also may be many unreported cases because certain reactions are mild or self-limited and can even go unnoticed. 11 Nonetheless, there is an evident rise of cases reported in the United States. According to the 2018 annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, there were 2815 case mentions from caterpillar envenomation.…”

Acute abdominal pain caused by accidental ingestion of Latoia species larva: a case report

“…The caterpillar was identified by a professional as L. consocia (Walker). 1 The results of the patient’s physical examination were as follows: temperature, 37.0°C; pulse rate, 92 beats per minute; respiration rate, 18 breaths per minute; and blood pressure, 125/70 mmHg. The patient’s consciousness was clear but her mental status was poor.…”