A German Man slipped into a coma and underwent amputation and 30 surgeries after he was bitten by a tiger mosquito.
A 27-year-old man from Germany underwent over 30 surgeries, partial amputation of his toes, and skin grafting and suffered from life-threatening ailments after getting bitten by an Asian tiger mosquito, the Daily Star reported. The Asian tiger mosquitoes are an exotic species that can transmit harmful diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya and dengue fever.
Sebastian Rotschke from Rodermark, Germany suffered from blood poisoning and dealt with liver, kidney, heart, and lung failure on several occasions and slipped into a coma. Doctors said the mosquito bite even led to a malignant bacterium that ate away almost halfway up his left thigh for which he had to undergo skin transplantation to remove an abscess formed in the region. He also had two of his toes partially amputated, the newspaper reported. Rotschke is currently recuperating after the life-threatening experience.
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What is the Asian Tiger mosquito?
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes Albopictus or forest mosquito, is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. However, in the past few decades, the dangerous species has spread to many countries, including parts of America and Europe as well.
Why is it deadly?
The Asian tiger mosquito is an aggressive biter that feeds primarily during the day and hosts many viral pathogens, including the yellow fever virus, Chikungunya fever as well Dirofilaria immitis, and Zika virus.
It is also a carrier of dengue fever, and a potential vector of encephalitis, yellow fever and dog heartworm.
West Nile virus has also been detected in this species in the eastern US. The mosquito species is a competent vector of LaCrosse encephalitis and eastern equine encephalitis viruses.
According to health practitioners, a bite of the tiger mosquito can cause severe dengue, fluid accumulation, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, or organ impairment.
The critical phase of the illness onsets after 3-7 days in which the patient develops symptoms such as severe stomachache, vomiting and nausea, bleeding through gums and nose, fatigue, liver enlargement, rashes and swelling among others.
How to identify?
The Asian tiger mosquitoes have black and silvery-white markings. The species can be easily identified by the single median silver-white stripe from its head down the centre of its back and its striped black and white legs.
Prevention and Control
The best way to prevent contact with Asian tiger mosquitoes is to eliminate areas of standing water around the home. All possible precautions such as screens on all windows, maintenance of gutters and regular pest control should be done. People spending time outdoors should wear long pants and sleeves and use an insect repellent containing an EPA-registered ingredient like DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus to prevent mosquito bites.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
