Rampant of Acid Fly in Eastern Nepal, health department says – we are unknown about this

KATHMANDU: The number of people falling ill from the bite of the Nairobi Fly i.e. acid fly in Nepal’s Eastern Terai region has increased.

People in Bhairahawa, Jhapa, sharing their experiences of being bitten by acid fly through social media.

While the Nairobi Fly is spreading throughout Eastern Nepal, the Department of Health Services is completely unaware of it. “What is this Nairobi fly?” says the department’s director, Chuman Lal Das. I just heard it today. We don’t know anything about it.

What is Nairobi Fly?

Nairobi flies are insects native to East Africa. It can grow to be 1 cm long. This black and red insect prefers to sit on the grass in hot weather. At night, being active attracts Nairobi lights and bites people. It can cause skin irritation, redness, pus formation, swelling, and overall skin damage. Within 24 hours of the insect bite, the effect is visible.

How are humans affected by them?

Normally, the insects attack pests that consume crops and are beneficial to humans — but occasionally, they come into direct contact with humans and cause harm. These flies do not bite, according to health officials, but if disturbed while sitting on anyone’s skin, they release a potent acidic substance that causes burns.

This substance, known as pederin, can cause skin irritation if it comes into contact with it, resulting in lesions or unusual marks or coloring on the skin. In a week or two, the skin begins to heal, but secondary infections can occur, especially if the victim scratches the irritated skin.

Survival Measures

Keep the house clean and close the windows and doors in the evening to avoid these insects, which become active only after 1 hour of sunset.

Put nets on windows and doors, turn off lights when not needed, sleep under mosquito nets, wear body-covering clothes while going outside, and if an insect bites, clean the bitten area immediately with soap and water. As a result, the poison is less potent.

Similarly, if the bite spreads, you can contact a medical facility; if there is a lot of infection in the house, you can spray pesticides available on the market; and so on.