How dangerous is the poison of the three-cavity ant?

Many people are exposed to pederin poison in sensitive areas such as the eyes, armpits, and private areas, causing widespread skin damage that takes a long time to heal.

Mr. NGN (29 years old, Binh Duong ) felt ants crawling in his private area while sleeping, so he rubbed his hands to kill the insects. The next morning, he had a red rash, blisters, burning pain and itching right at that location.

Many people are exposed to pederin poison in sensitive areas such as the eyes, armpits, and private areas, causing widespread skin damage that takes a long time to heal.

Mr. N. applied an antibiotic ointment to the painful area, and felt better, so he continued to go to the market to sell goods. Two days later, the pain was unbearable, his groin was swollen, his lymph nodes were swollen, and every step felt like rubbing salt on it. Worried about having a sexually transmitted disease, he and his wife went to see a doctor.

Examination of the patient revealed a large area of ​​skin in the genital area, groin, and thighs on both sides of the patient with many shallow yellow pustules, some areas were ulcerated, and oozed a lot of fluid.

Mr. N. was diagnosed with irritant contact dermatitis caused by the three-cavity ant with local infection. The lesion showed signs of continuing to spread due to the pederin poison of the three-cavity ant sticking to his pants and constantly rubbing against his skin.

In addition to oral antibiotics and topical anti-inflammatory drugs, Mr. N. was prescribed antihistamines to reduce itching and skin irritation. However, the patient is at risk of bad scarring due to the spread of the wound, late treatment, and secondary infection.

Ms. VTH (34 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) also fell into a state of “unable to sit or lie down” due to toxic burns from the three-banded ant on her buttocks, underside of her thighs, and both sides of her knees. For the past few months, she has caught three-banded ants in her house almost every day, even though her apartment on the 5th floor has insect screens on all the windows.

The first symptom was the appearance of 1-2 small blisters on the right knee, then the blisters spread to both legs. Having been poisoned by the three-cavity ant, she bought the medicine herself according to the old prescription for 3 days, but the condition did not improve, so she went to the hospital for examination.

Currently, after 5 days of treatment according to the doctor's prescription, wearing loose clothing, avoiding lying down or sitting on the wound, Ms. H's skin areas have dried and begun to crust. Patients should avoid scratching or peeling off the crusted layer of the wound to avoid scarring. The skin is susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots), and it will take several months for the dark spots to fade completely.

The South is in the rainy season, the number of cases of dermatitis caused by ants has not shown any signs of decreasing. A person can get the disease many times. Every day, Tam Anh General Clinic in District 7 and Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City receive 15-20 cases of dermatitis caused by ants.

Dr. Phan Son Long, a specialist in Dermatology - Cosmetic Dermatology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that some cases occur in sensitive areas such as the eyes, armpits, genitals, groin, etc., causing uncomfortable symptoms and affecting the patient's daily life.

In some cases, pederin gets into the eyelids, causing swelling, conjunctivitis, increased risk of corneal damage, and even temporary loss of vision if pederin gets into the eyes when rubbed. The skin in the armpits, groin, and thighs is thinner, softer, and more sensitive, and is also more susceptible to serious damage.

These areas tend to rub together during activity, so the lesions tend to spread more widely than other areas, limiting movement. Due to their specific location, these areas are moist and take longer to heal than exposed skin areas.

According to doctors, although the amount of pederin in the ant is very small, not enough to endanger life, this poison is 10-15 times stronger than cobra venom.

Therefore, people with sensitive constitutions or immunodeficiency may experience more serious reactions such as systemic allergies or secondary bacterial infections.

To prevent the disease from getting worse, doctors recommend that when you suspect contact with the three-cavity ant, you should wash the skin area under running water and soap several times to clean the toxins.

If you have symptoms such as red rashes, slightly raised on the skin surface, small blisters or pustules in the middle, blistering like a heat burn, you should go to a medical facility soon for examination and treatment.

Some diseases such as shingles, herpes simplex virus infection (HSV) have skin symptoms that can be easily confused with dermatitis caused by ants.

Patients should not self-diagnose or self-treat with other people's prescriptions, or use tips or folk remedies such as applying leaves or drawing symbols, because not treating the cause properly increases the risk of the disease progressing to a more serious stage.

For more information about the typical signs of dermatitis caused by ants, Dr. Long said that the lesions can occur in any skin area, more commonly on the neck, chest, arms, legs, and abdomen. Depending on the location of contact, the shape of the skin lesions will be different, they can be long lines, or symmetrical clusters if in the folds of the hands, feet, etc.

Initially, the mildest sign of the disease is the appearance of a red, painful swelling from a few mm to a few cm. After a few hours or a day, the lesions develop into blisters, pustules with red patches.

If the disease is mild, the patient only feels burning, itching, and a few red spots with small blisters and pustules. After 3-5 days, the lesions dry without forming blisters or pus.

In more severe cases, the lesions are extensive, blisters and superficial pus blisters spread widely, causing ulcers and, more seriously, necrosis. At this time, the pain and burning sensation increase and may be accompanied by fever, discomfort, swollen lymph nodes, and pain in the neck, armpits, and groin corresponding to the lesions.

If diagnosed and treated early, the disease will improve quickly, the lesions will form a scab after about 4-6 days, gradually dry out, and the scabs will peel off, leaving dark skin spots that will gradually disappear after a few weeks to a few months.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/chat-doc-cua-kien-ba-khoang-nguy-hiem-ra-sao-d227895.html