Centipede Bite - Wikipedia

Type of arthropod attack

A centipede bite is an injury resulting from the action of a centipede's forcipules, stinger-like appendages that pierce the skin and inject venom into the wound. Such a wound is not strictly speaking a bite, as the forcipules are a modified first pair of legs rather than true mouthparts. Clinically, the wound is viewed as a cutaneous condition characterized by paired hemorrhagic marks that form a chevron shape caused by the paired forcipules.[1]

The centipede's venom causes pain and swelling in the area of the bite, and may cause other reactions throughout the body. The majority of bites are not life-threatening to humans and present the greatest risk to children and those who develop allergic reactions.[2][3]

Symptoms and signs

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Symptoms which are most likely to develop include:[4]

• Pain,
• Swelling and redness
• Minor bleeding
• Itching and burning sensations.

Other symptoms such as hardening of the skin and tissue death may also occur.[5]

Treatment

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Centipedes bites, while painful, rarely cause severe health complications in people. Centipede venoms are heat-labile, and warm-water immersion may help reduce pain and swelling. Icing also helps.[6]

Society and culture

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Naturalist Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre reported that his dog developed a serious ulcer after a centipede bite during travels in Mauritius.[7]

YouTube personality Coyote Peterson has been intentionally bitten by Scolopendra heros (giant desert centipede) and declares that the pain caused by the bite is worse than a bullet ant sting.[8][9]

Muay Thai fighter Dokmaipa Por Pongsawang died after a bite from an arthropod described as a takhap (large centipede).[10] Taiwanese folk musician Difang Duana's death was accelerated by a centipede bite he suffered six months earlier.[11] Both Pongsawang and Duana were diabetic.[10][11]

See also

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• Millipede burn
• Skin lesion

References

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1. ^ James, William Daniel; Berger, Timothy G.; Elston, Dirk M., eds. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-8089-2351-0.[page needed]
2. ^ "Centipede Bite". Orkin. 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
3. ^ Bush, Sean P.; King, Bradley O.; Norris, Robert L.; Stockwell, Scott A. (June 2001). "Centipede envenomation". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 12 (2): 93–99. doi:10.1580/1080-6032(2001)012[0093:CE]2.0.CO;2. PMID 11434497.
4. ^ "Do Centipedes Bite? | Get Rid of Centipedes | Orkin".
5. ^ "Centipede bites: Effects and treatment". Retrieved 2022-10-04.
6. ^ "Centipede Stings".
7. ^ de Saint-Pierre, Bernardin (1773). Voyage à l'Isle de France, à l'Isle de Bourbon, au Cap de Bonne-Espérance, etc. avec des observations nouvelles sur la nature et sur les hommes. p. 128.
8. ^ Centipede Bite Worse Than ALL Stings?!, 26 December 2018, retrieved 2021-12-30
9. ^ Nelson, Dustin (20 December 2017). "This Maniac Let a Giant Centipede Give Him One of the World's Most Painful Bug Bites". Thrillist.
10. ^ a b "Muay Thai champ dies from bite blamed on monster centipede". Coconuts Bangkok. 8 October 2020.[unreliable source?]
11. ^ a b Huang, Sandy (March 30, 2002). "Amis singer Difang passes away". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2012-04-19.

External links

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Classification	D ICD-10: T63.4, X24 ICD-9-CM: 989.5, E905.4

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