Insect Bites
Infections
Insects may carry infectious organisms that they can pass on when they bite. Most people know that a mosquito bite may give you malaria, especially in Africa, Asia and South America. Among the many infections, you could catch relapsing fever and Chagas' disease from bed bugs in Mexico, yellow fever from mosquitoes in Venezuela or Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever from ticks in Massachusetts, US.
Always check for potential problems in the country you're travelling to and get vaccinated if you can.
One common fear is that mosquito bites might pass on HIV. But studies have shown no evidence of HIV transmission through mosquitoes or any other insects - even in areas where there are many cases of AIDS and large populations of mosquitoes.
Can HIV be passed on through insect bites?
Why there doesn't appear to be a risk of HIV transmission is partly explained by what happens when an insect bites. Experiments have shown that when an insect bites a person, it doesn't inject its own or a previously bitten person's blood. Instead, it injects saliva, which acts as a lubricant so that the insect can feed efficiently.
In addition, HIV lives for only a short period of time inside an insect and doesn't reproduce or survive in them. Thus, even if the virus enters a mosquito or another insect, the insect doesn't become infected and cannot transmit HIV to the next human it bites.
If you're bitten...
Simple first aid to clean the wound and reduce itchy irritation may be all that's needed.
But in some circumstances, it's vital to get medical help, especially in the following circumstances:
- if you're not sure what caused the bite
- if the insect could be dangerous, for example, a scorpion (although not all scorpions are dangerous)
- if you're in a malarial area
Bee and Wasp Stings
One per cent of people living in the UK have a life-threatening allergy to wasp stings. Just one brief encounter can trigger a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction (with symptoms that include breathing problems - rather like a very bad asthma attack - and an extreme drop in blood pressure). It's possible to protect yourself from such an allergy by having a series of injections of dilute venom - it could save your life.
You may need to rethink traditional advice on removing bee and wasp stings. Instead of slowly scraping the site of the sting to remove the stinger, researchers now believe that the best thing to do is to pull it out as quickly as possible - before the venom can be released.
Insects Abroad
In the UK, mites, ants and mosquitoes are also common causes of irritating insect bites. And everyone with a pet will know the problem of fleas.
But when you travel further a field you risk a much nastier dose of poison, with far more unpleasant effects. For example, stinging caterpillars in the southern states of the US can cause severe pain, dermatitis, and even intestinal disturbances.
