Is there an entomologist in the house?

March 9, 2007 10:22 PM

Is there an entomologist in the house? My (then fifty-something) father developed a case of deep vein thrombosis in the '90s. They found a blood clot that extended nearly all the way up his leg. Guess what my father blames for his condition instead of a career with frequent business (plane) trips? He went to a cheap hotel in the Phillipines where there was an infestation of what he described as "little green caterpillers", one of which bit him, supposedly causing the blood clot (by means of venom). Another version of the story has it that a spider bite was responsible. A friend from his VFW post claims there is a kind of mite whose bite does this. I do not believe that there is any insect, arachnid, or caterpillar in existance whose venom does this. Who is right?
posted by bunky to Science & Nature (4 answers total)

This is definitely possible. The actual agent may not be a poison (although I wouldn't rule that our with an Arachnid or centipede) but a virus or bacteria. I also doubt that it's a caterpillar (could be another similar looking insect larva). Arachnid bites can cause a range of reactions and a clot doesn't seem that unlikely. I have not worked on the philipines so I can't be specific.

Oh and the obligatory IAAE but IANYE
posted by special-k at 11:55 PM on March 9, 2007

our = out
posted by special-k at 11:55 PM on March 9, 2007

I'm not sure about The Phillipines, but I've spent a lot of time working in Sub Saharan Africa, and got bit by something once down there that had a similar affect.

I had arrived late and turned on the AC and just went to bed. As I found out later, this was a big mistake. If I'd done what I normally do - put the AC on, go get dinner while the room cooled - then I wouldn't have gotten bitten.

But something was in that bed and bit me in the right calf. I didn't feel a damn thing, but when putting my pants on the next AM before breakfast there was a large, perhaps 4" in diameter, reddish mark on my otherwise pale white skin.

I was curious but didn't give it much mind at the time as I had a client meeting that AM. All damn day that leg itched. I tried not to scratch it but it got progressively more insistent.

The next day I woke up the previously pale red blotch on my skin was now angry red, perhaps the colour of those red iPods. I was now getting concerned, but out local support staff, although conceding that something had bit me, insisted it would get better "soon". We went off to another full day of client meetings.

I could barely sleep that night as it itched like hell, and there was now blotches of dark in the red.

Needless to say, at that point I called our Medical Emergency Number for advise, who told me precisely what I already knew "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IN LAGOS" and "return to London immediately".

Back in my GP, after hearing my story and inspecting the blotch referred immediately to a specialist hospital, where "someone with the appropriate skills can deal with this".

I can read people fairly well, and sensed he knew what this was, but he wasn't telling me anything, insisting it would be better if "the specialists" worked with me.

So I ended up at The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which was alternately frightening and reassuring; frightening as I still had no idea what was in my leg (which now was deep deep red and black and actually tickled from time to time) but reassuring as these folks surely could help me out.

Well, I still have no idea what was in my leg - they never precisely told me, but there are small mite like insects in that part of Africa that are known to be the cause of precisely my problem, and, if not properly treated, "surgery would be necessary".

They gave me some kick ass drugs that were guaranteed to kill off the little beasties, however the course of treatment took far longer than it should off and came damn close to killing me off first. Well, that's an exaggeration, but over the next two weeks I was so sick and disgusted by the entire experience I was almost ready to give up the ghost and let the insects revel unimpeded in my meat while I went off to my heavenly reward.

However the story had a happy ending, as the insects (their larvae actually) decided to check out first and I'm still kicking about Africa.

So, a long winded answer to your query, but yes, there are some insects down in Africa that, if the bites remain untreated, will require some surgery afterwards. I'm not sure what for - I was so damn grossed out about larvae thriving in my body that I just didn't want to know more after a certain point - but Doctor Disease (or whatever the hell his name was - I never want to see him or that hospital again as long as I live) told me my case responded well so no surgery would be necessary.

Oh and the best thing you can do when checking into a cheap ass hotel down there - turn the AC on FULL, turn the bed sheets down and leave for about three hours. Little beasties will dehydrate pretty rapidly and you won't get bit.

Hopefully.
posted by Mutant at 12:56 AM on March 10, 2007 [3 favorites]

I can't answer the bug question, but has he been tested for a genetic condition that makes a person more susceptible to blood clots? You might want to be tested as well since blood clots frequently occur in people predisposed genetically to clot (exacerbated by flying, laying in bed sick, smoking, birth control, pregnancy, etc.) Factor V Leiden is one of the common genetic factors, for example.
posted by Amizu at 5:57 AM on March 10, 2007