VENOMOUS ORGANISMS

ORGANISMS CHARACTERISTICS CLINICAL PICTURES RX

Jelly fish  jelly fish, coral, sea anemones heals within days systemic effects: - antihistamine
 Physalia sp.  tentacles- poison glands - myalgia
(portuguese man of war)  form weal-line of contact - dyspnea
 nematocysts- sting gland - nausea
- profuse lacrymation

Cone shells  Organisms lives within shells Causes numbness:

 Hv hollow needle-like tooth - heal 24 h
 Able to sting painful sting - occationally paralysis n deaths
Diplopoda  cosmopolitan -not needed
 millipede  2 pairs of leg/ segment
 Pair gland openings
 M/F squirt corrosive
 Repugnant fluid
 Toxin-benzoquinones, aldehydes,
hydrocyanic acid
 Itch, discompart→erythme→scar

Chilopoda  1 pairs of legs/segment Bite n inject toxin - not needed

 centipede  1st pair-bitibg mandibles (fangs) - Excruciating pain - symptomatic
 Hide under humus n dark areas - Oedema at bite site
 Nocturnal feeder - Lymphangitis/ lymphadenitis
- Headache, nausea, tachycardia

Lepidoptera  entomophobia - contact- caused dermatitis - 10% calcium gluconate

 carterpillars  spines/hair- to avoid be eaten - skin n conjunctiva wash
 hair can be air borne ( barbed or - severe in allergic ind - removal of hair with
unbarbed, hair filled toxin) - pain similir to sting of bee adhesive tape
VENOMOUS ORGANISMS

- prickly sensation
- Ophtalmic need cose care
Coleoptera  plant feeders - Form blister in hours
 blister beetles  menace during harvest season - heals in 7-10 h
 bare feet/ hand workers - Wash n bandage
 when cushed- released cantharadin - watch for secondary infection
(C10 H12 O4)

Hymenoptera  cosmopolitan - Haemolytics - antihistamine

 fire ants  hold prey by mandibles -cytolytics effects - no antvenin used
 - solenopsis sp  repeated stinging - erythematous papules
 wasps  extremely painful sting (2-3 days ilang)
- vespa affinis  toxin- 2.6 diakylpiperdines - anaphylactic rxn
- vespa mandarina
 bees

Apoidea Bees: - painful: last for 24 h - steroid

 bees  cosmopolitan - itch, weal, flare, blister - antihistamine
- apis indica  socially well organised - unsensitised ( fever, hypertension, uirticaria, - bee collectors: desensitised
- apis dorsata  F: reproduction-queen n workers/ vertigo, bronchiospasm)
 wasps stigers - sensitised ( fatal on sting, acute anaphylactic
 M: workers shock in 10-20 min)
 Aggresive- form new colony
 Single sting
 Venom- histamine, polypeptide
melitin, phospolipase, apamine

Wasps:
 Aggresive as groups
VENOMOUS ORGANISMS
 Sting in female only
 Mutiple stinging
 Venom- histamine, hyaluronidase,
serotonin
Aranea  cosmopolitan
 Spiders  cephalothirax, abdomen
- loxosceles laeta  nocturnal feeders
- lactrodectus  both sexes poisonous (M>)
geometricus  strong chelicerae- inward pointing
- lactrodectus mactans  has irritant hairs on body
mactans  injects venom ( skeleton ms, ans)
 necrotic arachnidism
Arachnida  cosmopolitan
 scorpion  cephalothirax, abdomen
-heterometrus longimanus  nocturnal feeders
- isometrus maculatus  both sexes poisonous
-whipscorpion  poison gland in telson
 undeserved bad reputation
 ms twitching
 profuse salivation
 resslessness
 nausea, vomiting
 abdominal pain, diarrhoea
 hypertension( acute)
 dypsnea→asphysia→coma→fatality
 neurotoxic, cytolytic, cardiotoxic
 children-severe
 severe pain
 oedema in ste of bite
 marked hyperaesthesia (very sensitive)
 if systemic: agitation, ms twiching
 fatality due to:- respiratory failure,
perivascular failure, myocarditis
 nausea, vomiting