Recently there has been a rash of victims of a blood sucking insect called Triatoma Rubrofassiata, or the "kissing bug", leaving many people hospitalised.
Mr. Lenh was "kissed" by a bug
Nguyen Van Lenh, a manual labourer, living in a rented house on Doc Phu San road, in Thanh Cong Ward, had been bitten twice in four days. He had to see a doctor both times.
On July 10, Lenh felt a throbbing pain on his arm while he was sleeping. He touched his arm and caught a bug. The bite left a painful and itchy welt. This led to a fever, and he was sent to Hospital 354.
Within two days, he was bitten again and suffered similar symptoms.
The incident has caused distress among Lenh\'s neighbours, because these insects are very difficult to detect during the day.
“After the first bite, I was a bit afraid and cautious. So I carefully checked and cleaned my bed. I was surprised to be bitten a second time," he said.
The situation is not rare in Hanoi. In fact there have been several other incidents reported.
Last week, a child in Hanoi was also hospitalised after being bitten while lying on a sofa. This child suffered several bites all over the body.
Dr. Truong Xuan Lam, Head of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources’ Department of Experimental Entomology said that he has received a large number of phone calls over the past month asking for advice about how to deal with these bug bites.
Since the beginning of this summer, the institute has detected at least seven kissing bug colonies in Ha Dong, Thanh Xuan and Gia Lam Districts. According to Lam they have provided advice on eradication.
Bite marks
Bugs become more active
Dr. Lam confirmed that the bugs this year are the same species that were found last year.
“Even though they are the same species, these bugs seem to have become more aggressive, as they have adapted to living in a human environment," he said.
He added that 60 out of 100 people who called in to the institute had to seek medical attention due to the severity of the symptoms.
He said that these bugs prefer humid environments. Even though they are not known to transmit diseases, the marks they leave can be quite painful.
Anyone suffering from such a bite should clean it with soap and water, and avoid scratching, he added. As far as prevention, the best thing to do is to keep a clean living environment and use a sleeping net.
In case a but nest is found, a combination of chemical agents and powdered lime can be used to kill them, he said.
