Cutaneous manifestations caused by Simulium erythrocephalum bites in humans: A case series

Abstract

Introduction. In contact with insects, people present a wide range of reactions, local or systemic, whether caused by insect bites or a venom injections, sucking blood or exposure to insect?s body and its secretions. Simulium erythrocephalum is an aggressive anthropophilic species, and following its bite humans may develop purpuric macules, edema and erythema surrounding the bite site. Our case series indicates frequent occurrence of Simulium erythrocephalum bites in Serbia. Case Series. We present a series of 30 cases reviewed between April and July 2006, who developed a local reaction at the site of this insect?s bite. In all patients, the skin lesions were located on the extremities, mainly the lower legs. The number of bites varied from two to more than ten. In all patients the bites occurred either during outdoor activities on the riverside or their residence was near the Danube. The therapy with antihistamines, local and/or systemic corticosteroids, as well as symptomatic therapy, with compression and limb elevation was recommended. The skin lesions regressed in one week in most patients, but in few they lasted for several weeks. Conclusion. In addition to its impact on human health, Simulium erythrocephalum also has a role in veterinary medicine. Insect bites in animals can cause significant livestock losses, occasionally resulting in animal mortality. Apart from this, Simulium erythrocephalum may also be a vector in the transmission of the parasite from the genus of Leucocytozoon that infests birds.

Skin Lesions and Systemic Reactions in Humans Infested by Blackflies (Diptera: Simullidae) in Recreational Areas in Southeastern Poland

“…Cases of human dermatitis caused by Simulium have also been reported by other authors from various European countries, e.g., [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] and other parts of the world, e.g., [44][45][46][47][48].…”

First report of <i>Bartonella</i> sp. isolated from <i>Hippobosca equina</i> L. (Hippoboscidae: <i>Hippobosca</i>) in Lublin Province, south-eastern Poland

“…In the natural environment, people are exposed to direct and indirect effects of insect parasitism, including Simulium spp., Lipoptena spp., and Hippobosca equina [18,20,21,[50][51][52][53][54]. However, many of hematophagous insects have a relatively short feeding period, which can make it challenging to secure them for identification purposes.…”

Risk of Attacks by Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) and Occurrence of Severe Skin Symptoms in Bitten Patients along the Eastern Border of the European Union

“…Although many incidents of blackfly bites on humans and skin lesions caused by these insects have been reported worldwide [47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57], such cases have been monitored [58][59][60] and epidemiological studies have been conducted [61,62] in a few regions. In Poland, insufficient attention has been paid so far to the effects of the parasitism of blackflies on humans [32,63] despite the wide spread and mass occurrence of these insects in some regions [33,34,[63][64][65].…”

“…Many case reports described in the literature from the beginning of the 20th century (e.g., [67][68][69]) to the beginning of the 21st century [32,56,57,70] show highly diverse reactions in humans bitten by blackflies and, consequently, a wide spectrum of local and systemic symptoms. In addition to the individual traits and sensitivity of patients, the diversity of symptoms may also be associated with the biological and physiological features of these insects, probably the composition of the saliva of various species.…”