Irritant Dermatitis to Staphylinid Beetle in Indian Troops in Congo

Abstract

Background: Contact dermatitis to Staphylinid beetle is a well known entity worldwide. Paederus sabaeus (Econda) species of this insect was responsible for a widespread occurrence of this dermatitis in United Nations (UN) troops posted in Congo. This study was undertaken to observe the various aspects of this unique dermatitis in the mission area. Methods: All clinically diagnosed cases of contact dermatitis to Econda occurring in Indian troops posted to UN mission in Congo during the study period were included. Their epidemiological and clinical characteristics with treatment options were studied in detail. Result: A wide range of dermatological manifestations were seen in the subjects under study. Few of the manifestations observed in the study have not been reported earlier in literature. Most of the reactions occurred on the exposed areas. Treatment options were guided by the site and the severity of the reaction. Conclusion: Contact dermatitis to Staphylinid beetle can mimic various other dermatoses and has to be considered in the differential diagnosis in all dermatological consultations during the peak season in the Congo mission area. The insect was found to have certain definite behavioural patterns, the knowledge of which would help in preventing this dermatosis.

Ocular manifestations due to econda (Paederus sabaeus)

“…In a similar study by Vasudevan et al in Congo, four cases had periorbital involvement of a total of 154 cases of Staphylinid beetle dermatitis. 7 In another study in Tanzania, two cases of periorbital dermatitis and one case of keratoconjunctivitis following contact with blister beetle have been reported. 8 Gnanaraj et al reported periorbital involvement in 4.9% of their cases in South India.…”

“…Preventing human/ beetle contact is the primary method of preventing pederin based ocular manifestations. 1,7 Simple preventive measures based on the behavioural pattern of this nocturnal beetle can help reduce the incidence.…”

Contact Irritant Dermatitis in Kenya

“…The genus Paederus has over 600 species worldwide. Paederus beetles have been associated with numerous outbreaks of dermatitis around the world [3][4][5][6]. The adult beetles are often no more than 7-10 mm long and 0.5 mm wide.…”

“…The most commonly affected sites are the exposed skin areas around the face and neck [3,10,11]. Signs and symptoms appear 24-48 hours after exposure when an erythematous area develops.…”

A clinico-epidemiological study of paederus dermatitis in a tertiary care center in Puducherry, India

“…[ 1 ] A similar finding was observed in a military camp, and among nut farmers in Turkey. [ 6 , 7 ] The epidemiological data of PD patients in our study are mentioned in Table 1 .…”