Paederus dermatitis | |
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Other names | Linear dermatitis or Dermatitis linearis |
Paederus dermatitis |
Paederus dermatitis, medically known as dermatitis linearis, [1] is a skin irritation resulting from contact with the hemolymph of certain rove beetles, a group that belongs to the insect order Coleoptera and the genus Paederus . [2] [3] [4] Other local names given to Paederus dermatitis include spider-lick, whiplash dermatitis, [5] and Nairobi fly dermatitis. [2]
Rove beetles do not bite or sting but cause skin irritations and blisters when accidentally brushed or crushed against the skin provoking them to release their coelemic fluid which contains a strong blistering chemical. [6] The active agent in the coelemic fluid is commonly referred to as pederin, although depending on the beetle species it may be one of several similar molecules including pederone and pseudopederin. [7]
"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. [8] [9]
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. [8] Washing the hands and skin with soap and water is strongly recommended, if contact with a rove beetle has occurred. [10]
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. [10] The pederin may unconsciously be transmitted to other parts of the body such as the eye and genitals after the initial contact. Conjunctivitis which is commonly known as Nairobi eye in eastern Africa occurs when the eyes are affected. [11]
One study reported best results with a treatment regimen that combined topical steroids with oral antihistamines (first day) and antibiotics. The authors hypothesized that antibiotics were helpful because of the possible contamination of skin by pederin-producing bacteria. [12]
Three different genera of rove beetles, all members of the same subtribe Paederina, can cause paederus dermatitis: Paederus, Paederidus, and Megalopaederus. [13] This irritant is called pederin and is highly toxic, more potent than cobra venom. [14]
In different parts of the world, different species of rove beetle cause Paederus dermatitis:
Paederus dermatitis has also been reported from Nigeria, France, Okinawa, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, India (Perumbavoor, Kerala), Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia . [18]
Irritant diaper dermatitis is a generic term applied to skin rash in the diaper nappy area that are caused by various skin disorders and/or irritants.
The rove beetles are a family (Staphylinidae) of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra that typically leave more than half of their abdominal segments exposed. With roughly 63,000 species in thousands of genera, the group is currently recognized as the largest extant family of organisms. It is an ancient group, with fossilized rove beetles known from the Triassic, 200 million years ago, and possibly even earlier if the genus Leehermania proves to be a member of this family. They are an ecologically and morphologically diverse group of beetles, and commonly encountered in terrestrial ecosystems.
Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are not contagious or life-threatening, but can be very uncomfortable.
Keratosis pilaris is a common, autosomal-dominant, genetic condition of the skin's hair follicles characterized by the appearance of possibly itchy, small, gooseflesh-like bumps, with varying degrees of reddening or inflammation. It most often appears on the outer sides of the upper arms, thighs, face, back, and buttocks; KP can also occur on the hands, and tops of legs, sides, or any body part except glabrous (hairless) skin. Often the lesions can appear on the face, which may be mistaken for acne or folliculitis.
Skin disorders are among the most common health problems in dogs, and have many causes. The condition of a dog's skin and coat is also an important indicator of its general health. Skin disorders of dogs vary from acute, self-limiting problems to chronic or long-lasting problems requiring life-time treatment. Skin disorders may be primary or secondary in nature, making diagnosis complicated.
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a form of contact dermatitis that is the manifestation of an allergic response caused by contact with a substance; the other type being irritant contact dermatitis (ICD).
Hailey–Hailey disease, or familial benign chronic pemphigus or familial benign pemphigus, was originally described by the Hailey brothers in 1939. It is a genetic disorder that causes blisters to form on the skin.
Pederin is a vesicant toxic amide with two tetrahydropyran rings, found in the haemolymph of the beetle genus Paederus, including the Nairobi fly, belonging to the family Staphylinidae. It was first characterized by processing 25 million field-collected P. fuscipes. It makes up approximately 0.025% of an insects weight.
Nairobi fly is the common name for two species of rove beetle in the genus Paederus, native to East Africa. The beetles contain a corrosive substance known as pederin, which can cause chemical burns if it comes into contact with skin. Because of these burns, the Nairobi fly is sometimes referred to as a "dragon bug."
Grover's disease (GD) is a polymorphic, pruritic, papulovesicular dermatosis characterized histologically by acantholysis with or without dyskeratosis. Once confirmed, most cases of Grover's disease last six to twelve months, which is why it was originally called "transient". However it may last much longer. Nevertheless, it is not to be confused with relapsing linear acantholytic dermatosis.
Hand eczema presents on the palms and soles, and may sometimes be difficult or impossible to differentiate from atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and psoriasis, which also commonly involve the hands. Even a biopsy of all these conditions may not result in a definitive diagnosis, as all three conditions may demonstrate spongiosis and crusting on the hands.
Id reactions are types of acute dermatitis developing after days or weeks at skin locations distant from the initial inflammatory or infectious site. They can be localised or generalised. This is also known as an 'autoeczematous response' and there must be an identifiable initial inflammatory or infectious skin problem which leads to the generalised eczema. Often intensely itchy, the red papules and pustules can also be associated with blisters and scales and are always remote from the primary lesion. It is most commonly a blistering rash with itchy vesicles on the sides of fingers and feet as a reaction to fungal infection on the feet, athlete's foot. Stasis dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, acute irritant contact eczema and infective dermatitis have been documented as possible triggers, but the exact cause and mechanism is not fully understood. Several other types of id reactions exist including erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, Sweet's syndrome and urticaria.
Blister beetle dermatitis is a cutaneous condition that occurs after contact with any of several types of beetles, including those from the Meloidae and Oedemeridae families. Blister beetles secrete an irritant called cantharidin, a vesicant that can get onto humans if they touch the beetles.
Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus Toxicodendron native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, Toxicodendron radicans, poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate species: Toxicodendron radicans, Toxicodendron rydbergii, and Toxicodendron orientale. They are well known for causing urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, an itchy, irritating, and sometimes painful rash, in most people who touch it. The rash is caused by urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the plant's sap. They are variable in appearance and habit, and despite its common name, it is not a "true" ivy (Hedera), but rather a member of the cashew and pistachio family (Anacardiaceae). T. radicans is commonly eaten by many animals, and the seeds are consumed by birds, but poison ivy is most often thought of as an unwelcome weed.
The Paederinae are a subfamily of the Staphylinidae, rove beetles. The Paederinae include two tribes, Paederini and Pinophilini. This insect is commonly known as Tomcat.
Paederus is a genus of small beetles of the family Staphylinidae. With 622 valid species assigned by 1987 to the subtribe Paederina, and with all but 148 within Paederus itself, the genus is large. Due to toxins in the hemolymph of some species within this genus, it has given its name to paederus dermatitis, a characteristic skin irritation that occurs if one of the insects is crushed against skin. That name, Paederus dermatitis, is a poor choice because, decades earlier, the affliction had been called dermatitis linearis, a name that works in all languages, not just English, because of its Latin origin; the name Paederus dermatitis is also inappropriate because it has shown to be caused by (a) only a few species of the genus Paederus, but (b) also a few species that belong to closely related genera within the subtribe Paederina. A scholarly paper in 2002 suggested that a Paederus species could have been responsible for some of the ten Plagues of Egypt described in the Bible's Book of Exodus.
Anotylus tetracarinatus is a small rove beetle with a wide distribution. It is the most common species of the genus, and maybe even of the family, in the whole of Central Europe.
Occupational skin diseases are ranked among the top five occupational diseases in many countries.
Nickel allergy or nickel allergic contact dermatitis (Ni-ACD) is a form of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by exposure to the chemical element nickel. It typically causes a rash that is red and itchy and that may be bumpy or scaly. The main treatment is avoiding contact with nickel-releasing metals, such as wearing inexpensive jewelry.
Christmas Eye refers to a seasonal epidemic of corneal ulceration which predominantly occurs in a particular region of Australia, caused by chemicals released upon death by small native beetles in the area.
Pederin contacts human skin only when a beetle is brushed vigorously over the skin or crushed.
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