Other Irritating Arthropods (Beetles, Bugs, Centipedes, Etc.)

Abstract

Environmental changes, mainly caused by increasing urbanization, generate enabling conditions, sometimes not desirable, which favor the proximity between the humans and the population of other animals, including arthropods. Many of these species produce irritant substances responsible for causing important clinical manifestations in their victims. Those manifestations can range from discomfort and pain caused by contact with the toxin to various cutaneous symptoms, including blistering, contact dermatitis and allergic reaction, among others. In many instances, death occurs. Arthropods annoying of public health importance, such as species of insects (class Insecta), centipedes (class Chilopoda) and millipedes (class Diplopoda), which have not been previously discussed, are dealt here. Among the insects, species of the orders Coleoptera (beetles), Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), Lepidoptera (moths) and Hemiptera (bugs haematophagous and non-haematophagous) are detailed. This section aims to provide basic allowances for the identification of these species and emphasises clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and prophylactic measures of diseases caused by them.