Also called: Also called: Bug bites
Most insect and spider bites are harmless, though they feel unpleasant. Bee, wasp, and hornet stings and fire ant bites usually hurt. Mosquito, flea and mite bites usually itch. Insects can also transmit diseases, such as yellow fever and malaria. These diseases mainly are a risk for travelers outside the United States.
To prevent insect bites and their complications
- Don't bother insects
- Use insect repellant
- Wear protective clothing
- Be careful when you eat outside because food attracts insects
- If you know you have severe allergic reactions to insect bites, carry an emergency epinephrine kit
- Beware of Bug Bites and Stings(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/bugbites061908.html
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Bug Bites and Stings(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/insect_bite.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/insect_bite_esp.html
- Insect Bites and Stings: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-insect-bites/FA00046/METHOD=print
- Bed Bugs Bring No Disease Danger(03/31/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82371.html
- How to Use Insect Repellents Safely(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs) - http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/insectrp.htm
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Insect Repellent DEET(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/sp-deet.html
- Permethrin-Impregnated Clothing: For Service Members and Their Families(Dept. of Defense, Deployment Health Clinical Center) - Links to PDF - http://deploymenthealthlibrary.fhp.osd.mil/products/Permethrin%20-%20Impregnated%20Clothing%20(242).pdf
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Stinging Insect Allergy: How to Avoid the Ouch(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0607/
Also available in Spanish http://www.aaaai.org/espanol/totm/0607/
- Updated Information Regarding Insect Repellents(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm
- Anaphylaxis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/anaphylaxis/DS00009/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Bedbugs(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/bedbugs/DS00663/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Health Hazards of Imported Fire Ant Stings(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/fireants.stm
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JAMA Patient Page: Bed Bugs(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/301/13/1398.pdf
- Mosquito Bites(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/mosquito-bites/DS01075/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Spider Bites: First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/first-aid-spider-bites/FA00048/METHOD=print
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Stinging Insect Allergy(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/stinginginsect.stm
Also available in Spanish http://www.aaaai.org/espanol/tips/alergia_a_las_picadaduras_de_insectos.stm
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Can I Get HIV from Mosquitoes?(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa32.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/spanish/resources/qa/qa32.htm
- Arthropod (Insect) Bite or Sting(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/arthropodBiteorSting.htm
- Bedbug Bite(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/bedbugBite.htm
- Fire Ants Photos(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/media/photos_graphics/fire_ants.stm
- Life Cycles: Fleas and Ticks(Food and Drug Administration) - Links to PDF - http://www.fda.gov/fdac/graphics/1996graphics/fleatick.pdf
- Stinging Insect Matching Game(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0904/matching.stm
- Spider Bites(DSHI Systems) - http://www.freemd.com/spider-bites/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Insect Bites and Stings(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=(insect+OR+mosquito+OR+bee)+AND+(bites+OR+stings)
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: I accidentally disturbed a beehive in my yard and was... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19367776&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: JAMA patient page. Bed bugs. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19336718&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and clinical consequences of their bites. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19336711&tool=MedlinePlus
- Insect Bites and Stings -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=insect+bites+and+stings[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Insect Bites and Stings - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Insect+Bites+and+Stings
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Arthropod (Insect) Bite or Sting(Logical Images) - http://www.visualdxhealth.com/child/arthropodBiteorStingPediatric.htm
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Hey! A Bedbug Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/bedbug.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/bedbug_esp.html
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Hey! A Bee Stung Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/bee.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/bee_esp.html
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Hey! A Black Widow Spider Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/black_widow.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/black_widow_esp.html
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Hey! A Brown Recluse Spider Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/brown_recluse.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/brown_recluse_esp.html
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Hey! A Chigger Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/chigger.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/chigger_esp.html
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Hey! A Fire Ant Stung Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/fire_ant.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/fire_ant_esp.html
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Hey! A Flea Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/flea.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/flea_esp.html
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Hey! A Gnat Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/gnat.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/gnat_esp.html
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Hey! A Louse Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/louse.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/louse_esp.html
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Hey! A Mosquito Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/mosquito.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/mosquito_esp.html
- Hey! A Scorpion Stung Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/scorpion.html
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Hey! A Tarantula Bit Me!(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/bugs/tarantula.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/tarantula_esp.html
- What to Do When You're Bugged by Bugs(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/bug_bites.html
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Bug Bites and Stings(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/first_aid/bug_bites.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/seguridad/bug_bites_esp.html
- Animal Bites - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/animalbites.html
- Dengue - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dengue.html
- Lyme Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymedisease.html
- Malaria - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malaria.html
- Plague - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/plague.html
- Tick Bites - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tickbites.html
- West Nile Virus - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/westnilevirus.html
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
- Skin, Hair and Nails - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skinhairandnails.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Insect Bites and Stings is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www.niaid.nih.gov/