IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p7610-d844574.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Risk of Attacks by Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) and Occurrence of Severe Skin Symptoms in Bitten Patients along the Eastern Border of the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Monika Sitarz

    (Chair and Department of Conservative Dentistry with Endodontics, Faculty of Medical Dentistry, Medical University of Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland)

  • Alicja M. Buczek

    (Department of Biology and Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland)

  • Weronika Buczek

    (Department of Biology and Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland)

  • Alicja Buczek

    (Department of Biology and Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland)

  • Katarzyna Bartosik

    (Department of Biology and Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland)

Abstract

The components of blackfly (Diptera: Simuliidae) saliva secreted during feeding on humans and animals induce various pathological reactions manifested by skin lesions and systemic symptoms. In this study, we describe 43 cases of severe skin lesions induced by blackfly bites and analyze their potential causes. Based on the results of a survey of 418 patients, we identified periods with risk of blackfly attacks and their environmental determinants in the eastern part of the European Union. Especially strong inflammatory reactions after blackfly bites were reported in patients with concomitant cardiovascular diseases (mainly with venous insufficiency), metabolic diseases, and bacterial infections. Enhanced symptoms of simuliosis were also observed in other patients attacked by these insects only once or repeatedly. The greatest number of blackfly attacks in the study area is recorded from May to July, with a peak in June (38.73%) in the afternoon (37.10%) and evening (33.03%), when patients are in fields, forests, or their households. The case analysis indicates interactions of various factors in the development of severe inflammatory reactions in patients bitten by blackflies. Therefore, it is recommended that subjects exposed to the presence of blackflies during their work or rest should limit the length of their stay in a vulnerable environment during the highest seasonal and daily activity of these insects. It is also necessary to take measures to reduce the number of blackflies and popularize methods for prophylaxis of their attacks.

Suggested Citation

  • Monika Sitarz & Alicja M. Buczek & Weronika Buczek & Alicja Buczek & Katarzyna Bartosik, 2022. "Risk of Attacks by Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) and Occurrence of Severe Skin Symptoms in Bitten Patients along the Eastern Border of the European Union," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-18, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7610-:d:844574
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7610/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7610/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ignacio Ruiz-Arrondo & José A. Oteo & Javier Lucientes & Ana Muniesa & Ignacio de Blas, 2020. "Surveillance of a Pest Through a Public Health Information System: The Case of the Blackfly ( Simulium erythrocephalum ) in Zaragoza (Spain) during 2009–2015," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jian Zhou & Chuhan Wang & Xinyu Zhang & Shuang Wang, 2022. "Public Health System and Socio-Economic Development Coupling Based on Systematic Theory: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-14, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7610-:d:844574. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.