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Centipede bite

Type of arthropod attack

Type of arthropod attack

A centipede bite is an injury resulting from the action of a centipede's forcipules, stinger-like appendages that pierce the skin and inject venom into the wound. Such a wound is not strictly speaking a bite, as the forcipules are a modified first pair of legs rather than true mouthparts. Clinically, the wound is viewed as a cutaneous condition characterized by paired hemorrhagic marks that form a chevron shape caused by the paired forcipules.

The centipede's venom causes pain and swelling in the area of the bite, and may cause other reactions throughout the body. The majority of bites are not life-threatening to humans and present the greatest risk to children and those who develop allergic reactions.

Symptoms and signs

Symptoms which are most likely to develop include:

  • Pain,
  • Swelling and redness
  • Minor bleeding
  • Itching and burning sensations. Other symptoms such as hardening of the skin and tissue death may also occur.

Treatment

Centipedes bites, while painful, rarely cause severe health complications in people. Centipede venoms are heat-labile, and warm-water immersion may help reduce pain and swelling. Icing also helps.

Society and culture

Naturalist Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre reported that his dog developed a serious ulcer after a centipede bite during travels in Mauritius.

YouTube personality Coyote Peterson has been intentionally bitten by Scolopendra heros (giant desert centipede) and declares that the pain caused by the bite is worse than a bullet ant sting.

Muay Thai fighter Dokmaipa Por Pongsawang died after a bite from an arthropod described as a takhap (large centipede). Taiwanese folk musician Difang Duana's death was accelerated by a centipede bite he suffered six months earlier. Both Pongsawang and Duana were diabetic.

References

References

  1. (2006). "Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology". Saunders Elsevier.
  2. (2011). "Centipede Bite". Orkin.
  3. (June 2001). "Centipede envenomation". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.
  4. "Do Centipedes Bite? | Get Rid of Centipedes | Orkin".
  5. "Centipede bites: Effects and treatment".
  6. "Centipede Stings".
  7. (1773). "Voyage à l'Isle de France, à l'Isle de Bourbon, au Cap de Bonne-Espérance, etc. avec des observations nouvelles sur la nature et sur les hommes".
  8. (26 December 2018). "Centipede Bite Worse Than ALL Stings?!".
  9. (20 December 2017). "This Maniac Let a Giant Centipede Give Him One of the World's Most Painful Bug Bites". Thrillist.
  10. (8 October 2020 }}{{rs). "Muay Thai champ dies from bite blamed on monster centipede". Coconuts Bangkok.
  11. Huang, Sandy. (March 30, 2002). "Amis singer Difang passes away". [[Taipei Times]].
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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