Envenomation From Flood-Related Fire Ant Rafting: A Cautionary Note.
Am J Med
; 136(9): 937-940, 2023 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37355195
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Imported fire ants aggressively sting humans, leading to a variety of local and systemic effects. Fire ants display a behavioral adaptation to survive flooding, called "rafting," bringing humans into even more contact with fire ants.METHODS:
To assess frequency of encounters with fire ant rafts, duck hunters on the website "Duck Hunter's Forum" were asked about their experiences with the ants while wading or boating in flooded areas. All members of the group received a brief explanation and asked to respond directly if they had had such an encounter. They were then asked to fill out a short 6-question survey.RESULTS:
There were 2021 views of the thread about fire ant raft encounters, with 35 (1.7%) responses. Twenty-four (68.6%) said they had experienced encounters with fire ant rafts. Six responders described purposely or inadvertently physically touching the rafts with their body parts, boat, or a paddle, causing the ants to enter their boat or to climb directly onto the hunter(s). Five respondents were stung (number of stings from "a few" to 50), describing reactions to stings as "small pustules," "whelps," and "pimple-like, puss-filled whelps."CONCLUSIONS:
These results confirm that fire ant rafts formed during flooding present a potential hazard to persons walking, wading, or boating in those areas. We suggest that these rafts are an under-appreciated health hazard. It is reasonable to assume that people in flooded areas occasionally contact these floating rafts and are stung multiple times. We provide preliminary prevention/protection recommendations for health professionals, to be shared with their patients and the general public.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Hormigas
/
Exantema
/
Mordeduras y Picaduras de Insectos
/
Venenos de Hormiga
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Am J Med
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article