Paederus dermatitis

Paederus dermatitis (also called linear dermatitis or dermatitis linearis) is skin irritation resulting from contact with the hemolymph of certain rove beetles, a group that includes the genus Paederus.[1][2] Other local names given to Paederus dermatitis include spider-lick, whiplash dermatitis,[3] and Nairobi fly dermatitis.[1]

The active agent is commonly referred to as pederin, although depending on the beetle species it may be one of several similar molecules including pederone and pseudopederin.[4]

"Blister beetle dermatitis," a term more properly used for the different dermatitis caused by cantharidin from blister beetles, is also sometimes used to describe paederus dermatitis caused by rove beetles.[5][6]

Contents

Diagnosis and treatment

Once pederin is on the skin from the initial beetle contact, it may also be spread elsewhere on the skin. "Kissing" or "mirror-image" lesions where two skin areas come in contact (for example, the elbow flexure) are often seen.[5] Washing the hands and skin with soap and water is strongly recommended, if contact with a rove beetle has occurred.[7]

Initial skin contact with pederin shows no immediate result. Within 12–36 hours, however, a reddish rash (erythema) appears, which develops into blisters. Irritation, including crusting and scaling, may last from two to three weeks.[7]

One study reported best results with a treatment regimen that combined topical steroids with oral antihistamines and antibiotics. The authors hypothesized that antibiotics were helpful because of the possible contamination of skin by pederin-producing bacteria.[8]

Location and species

Three different genera of rove beetles, all members of the same subtribe Paederina, can cause paederus dermatitis: Paederus, Paederidus, and Megalopaederus[9] This irritant is called pederin and is highly toxic, more potent than cobra venom.[10]

In different parts of the world, different species of rove beetle cause Paederus dermatitis:

Paederus dermatitis has also been reported from Nigeria[14] France, Okinawa, Australia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 1-4160-2999-0. 
  2. ^ http://www.springerlink.com/content/qg286001k0066710/
  3. ^ Mullen, Gary; Gary Richard Mullen, Lance Durden (2009). Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Academic Press. pp. 102. http://books.google.com/books?id=6R1v9o-uaI4C. Retrieved 31 July 2011. "Pederin contacts human skin only when a beetle is brushed vigorously over the skin or crushed." 
  4. ^ Verma, Rajesh; Sunil Agarwal (2006). "Blistering beetle dermatitis: An outbreak". Medical Journal Armed Forces India 62 (1): 42–44. http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0377-1237/PIIS0377123706801541.pdf. Retrieved 28 July 2011. 
  5. ^ a b c d Singh, Gurcharan; Syed Yousuf Ali (2007). Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology 73 (1): 13–15. doi:10.4103/0378-6323.30644. 
  6. ^ "Blister Beetles". Institute of Tropical Medicine. http://www.itg.be/itg/DistanceLearning/LectureNotesVandenEndenE/52_Ectoparasitesp7.htm#T8. Retrieved 27 July 2011. 
  7. ^ a b "Just the facts…Paederus Beetles". US Army Public Health Command. http://phc.amedd.army.mil/PHC%20Resource%20Library/PaederusBeetleJan2010.pdf. Retrieved 30 July 2011. 
  8. ^ Qadir, Syed Nurul Rasool; Naeem Raza, Simeen Ber Rahman (2006). "Volume 12 Number 7 Paederus dermatitis In Sierra Leone". Dermatology Online Journal 12 (7): 9. http://dermatology.cdlib.org/127/case_reports/paederus/qadir.html. Retrieved 3 August 2011. 
  9. ^ Capineira, John L (2008). "Dermatitis linearis". Encyclopedia of entomology. Springer. pp. 1179–. ISBN 978-1-4020-6242-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=i9ITMiiohVQC. "The 28 species thus far shown to produce such a toxin belong to three of the 14 genera of Paederina, namely Paederus, Paederidus, and Megalopaederus" 
  10. ^ "Ectoparasites". Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp. http://www.itg.be/itg/DistanceLearning/LectureNotesVandenEndenE/Teksten/sylabus/52_Ectoparasites.doc. Retrieved 2007-06-04. 
  11. ^ Nikbakhtzadeh, M.R.; S. Tirgari (2007). "Medically important beetles (insecta: coleoptera) of Iran". J. venom. anim. toxins incl. trop. dis. 14 (4): 597–618. http://www.scielo.br/pdf/jvatitd/v14n4/04.pdf. Retrieved 3 August 2011. 
  12. ^ [1] Journal of Dermatology, May 31. 2007
  13. ^ [2] 'Beware, the Nairobi fly is back in town', The Nation, 5/27/2007
  14. ^ [3] The Internet Journal of Tropical Medicine. 2006 Volume 3 Number 1

External links

Research paper describing both Blister beetle dermatitis and Paederus dermatitis, with photos of both