Many people in Ho Chi Minh City have skin infections due to the poison of the three-cavity ant.

On July 2, Ms. Loan’s son, who lives in District 8, went to the hospital because he had pustules all over his ears, face and neck, and his face was red and sore. Her family lives on the 14th floor of an apartment building. The boy saw ants flying into the house so he caught and killed them, then stuffed his ears with cotton because he was afraid the ants would crawl in while he was sleeping on the floor. The next morning, his face was covered in red rashes, she thought it was an allergy, bought medicine but it didn’t help. She thought her son had shingles, but it wasn’t until the evening when she discovered ants flying into the house that she realized she had been poisoned by the ants.

“The child killed a red-banded ant, did not wash his hands, but stuffed cotton into his ear, so the toxic fluid from his hand came into contact with the ear area, causing pustules,” Loan explained, adding that the child had a habit of touching his face while sleeping, so his face and neck were also contaminated with the ant poison, causing pustules to appear all over.

Ms. Thu, who lives in Thanh Da apartment building, Binh Thanh district, said that one evening while working, she felt “something crawling on her neck” so she used her hand to push it away. About 5 minutes later, her neck skin became hot, itchy, and sore. Half a day later, her skin broke out in blisters, itching and burning very uncomfortably, and when she went to the hospital, she found out she had been infected with the three-banded ant.

Sitting waiting for the examination next to Ms. Thu, Ms. Khoa, living in District 7, had a red and swollen face, especially her eyes, and could not open her left eye. She lived in a townhouse, and the room had a lot of ants. At first, it was just a burning sensation around her skin, but when she woke up in the morning, the swelling got worse.

Dr. Pham Thi Uyen Nhi, Deputy Head of the General Planning Department, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, said that the rainy season has suitable temperature and humidity for the ants to reproduce. People who come into contact with the fluid secreted by the ants will have skin irritation, with blisters and blisters appearing on the skin surface. This condition spreads if the wound is not properly cared for or scratched.

Patients come to the clinic early, are treated promptly by doctors, and do not have any complications. However, some people go to the hospital when their condition is too severe due to applying folk methods and improper self-treatment, causing secondary infections. There are also many patients treated at unreliable facilities, misdiagnosed as shingles… making the disease worse.

“Shingles and contact dermatitis caused by ants have similar characteristics, but are different in terms of clinical picture, exposure risk factors, and disease manifestations,” said Dr. Uyen Nhi.

When attacked by the three-cavity ant, the first thing to do is to clean the area of ​​the ant’s infection. Remember to wash gently, do not rub hard, to wash away the ant’s toxic secretions. Rubbing hard will spread the ant’s secretions, making the disease worse.

Avoid scratching, rubbing, and breaking blisters. When symptoms appear on the skin, you should go to the hospital or a dermatologist for examination, take medication, and use specific topical medications to reduce discomfort. Proper treatment will help control the disease better and reduce complications.

Improper treatment, for example, applying leaves, medicine, unknown substances on the skin surface… can make the skin condition worse, leading to infection, spreading the wound. This can cause complications of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or the skin area after the disease becomes darker and less pigmented, depigmented due to deep damage. Some cases cause concave scars, keloid scars in the area attacked by the ant.

Doctors recommend placing insect screens in wooded areas. Reduce indoor lighting to limit attracting ants, as they like light. Clean the house, especially places where ants can hide, such as door cracks and damp areas in the house. Keep your body clean and limit drying clothes at night.