Dubai: One bite or sting is all it takes to turn a perfect day in the park, or even at home, into a nightmare at the emergency ward of a hospital. Residents in the UAE are likely to encounter beetles, ants, wasps, flies, cockroaches and spiders in the summer and awareness is critical in a tricky situation.

There are 950,000 species of insects on earth and more than 10,000 species of animals discovered every year, according to Dr Reza Khan, specialist of wildlife and zoo management at Dubai Municipality. He warned residents to be aware of several common insects that could have life-threatening bites or stings.

Samsum ant

While you might simply flick off an ant crawling on an arm or leg, Dr Khan said the Samsum ant found in the UAE is dangerous. “This is an aggressively invasive species of ant, which is also known as the African stinging ant, and its bite could be fatal to many people.”

When stung, a person who is allergic to the formic acid secreted by the ant will experience swelling of the tissue around the breathing system that will continue to enlarge if not treated. A person who is stung by the Samsum ant should immediately be given anti-allergy pills (antihistamine) and taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

With very painful stings, wasps and bees can be deadly depending on a person’s sensitivity. The common yellow wasp, also known as the Arabian paper wasp, is found in many parks and gardens in the UAE  and can be fatal if the person stung is allergic to the insect’s venom.

While children are also more likely to be allergic to bee stings, doctors urge parents to carry anti-allergy pills and possibly an insect bite kit, which are available at local pharmacies.

“A child who has experienced a severe reaction to a bee or wasp sting should carry an epinephrine auto-injector [an emergency injection of epinephrine] at all times as the risk of recurrence is 40 to 60 per cent,” Dr Sara Khawaja, a paediatrician at Familyfirst Medical Centre in Dubai, said.

Is it a bite or a sting?

Most people, however, confuse an insect bite with a sting, Dr Khawaja said.
A bite is from an insect’s mouth parts and occurs when the animal wants to feed or is agitated. Mosquito, flea and bed bug bites are more likely to cause itching than pain.
Stings, on the other hand, are delivered by the insect’s stinger, which is connected to a venom gland and inflicts a wound by piercing, causing pain, swelling, redness and, in rare cases, severe allergic reactions. 

“Parents should look out for signs and symptoms after an insect sting or bite that indicates a severe reaction like facial or tongue swelling, sensation of the throat closing or difficulty talking or swallowing,” Dr Khawaja said.

Other symptoms can include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting or fainting, which can indicate a drop in blood pressure. In such severe cases, a simple pill or shot can make all the difference.