Blister beetle dermatosis : a report of 43 cases in a military unit in Eritrea

Abstract EN

Objective : To present our experience of an outbreak of blister beetle dermatosis in a military unit.

Methods : an outbreak of a blistering disease was reported in a Jordanian military unit participating in the United Nations mission in Eritrea.

The unit was stationed in the Gash-Barka Eritrean province at the western border of the country.

Blister beetles of the genus Pederus were collected at the site.

Local clinicians were familiar with such outbreaks in rainy seasons, but it had not been previously reported in the area.

Our study documents the distribution of the lesions, their natural history, healing stages and effective treatment.

Results : In a unit of 461 personnel, 43 presented with dermatological complaints including one with symptoms and signs of "Nairobi eye" only.

Follow-up period was 1 to 7 weeks until complete healing was noted.

All patients were males in the second and third decades of age.

Thirty-one patients (72 %) presented with one lesion, 9 (21 %) with two, and 3 (7 %) with three lesions.

In 31 patients (72 %) the area was less than 5 cm square.

Out of these, 25 (81 %) had complete healing by one week from the time of injury.

Residual skin hyperpigmentation is a known complication, which can take up several months to resolve.

Conclusion : it is important for our military troops coming into afflicted areas to be aware of this type of dermatitis as a cause of skin blisters.