Nairobi, or at least the area where we live in, is a very lush and green area. So it is understandable that it also has a very lively fauna. In addition to the bigger animals, it is also a home to numerous insects.
It's weird how the different insects come in waves. A while back there were big black insects that looked like a hybrid of a cockroach and grasshopper everywhere, then came the sugar ants and as it is the rainy season the kumbi kumbi or flying termites.
And now we've seen the Nairobi fly, the nastiest of the nasty.
Nairobi fly is not a fly at all, but a small beetle. It does not fly, nor does it sting or bite, but it can still cause some serious harm to us. Although it lives in rotting leaves and long grass, it's attracted by light and tries to get inside the house in the evenings.
The nairobi fly's circulatory system contains a strong toxin, apparently this toxin is 15 times more poisonous than cobra venom, that causes blistering and burns on the skin similar to having acid on your skin (which the toxin in fact is). This happens if you crush the animal against your skin, and the worst is that the poison will spread to a wider area and if you rub the infected area against other parts of your body chances are you'll get the toxin there too.
As the animal is small, 6-10mm, it is easy to crush it by accident. You'll not notice it immediately, the itching and burning starts 10-18 hours after you've been exposed to it.
Healing takes time too, the rash will typically disappear within 10-12 days and may leave scars on the skin. That's why the insect is also called Nairobi eye, as many people have scars on their faces caused by it.
You can treat the burns with antiseptic wash and a weak steroid cream, but some also swear on the effectiveness of tooth paste (the old type, not gel).
Luckily we've only seen them so far but none of us have burn marks yet. Some people we know have, so I hope the rainy season is over soon and the nasty Nairobi fly gets replaced by the next insect (which by the way I hope is not the locust. I've seen a few of them already and they are not nice either).
It's weird how the different insects come in waves. A while back there were big black insects that looked like a hybrid of a cockroach and grasshopper everywhere, then came the sugar ants and as it is the rainy season the kumbi kumbi or flying termites.
And now we've seen the Nairobi fly, the nastiest of the nasty.
Nairobi fly is not a fly at all, but a small beetle. It does not fly, nor does it sting or bite, but it can still cause some serious harm to us. Although it lives in rotting leaves and long grass, it's attracted by light and tries to get inside the house in the evenings.
The nairobi fly's circulatory system contains a strong toxin, apparently this toxin is 15 times more poisonous than cobra venom, that causes blistering and burns on the skin similar to having acid on your skin (which the toxin in fact is). This happens if you crush the animal against your skin, and the worst is that the poison will spread to a wider area and if you rub the infected area against other parts of your body chances are you'll get the toxin there too.
As the animal is small, 6-10mm, it is easy to crush it by accident. You'll not notice it immediately, the itching and burning starts 10-18 hours after you've been exposed to it.
Healing takes time too, the rash will typically disappear within 10-12 days and may leave scars on the skin. That's why the insect is also called Nairobi eye, as many people have scars on their faces caused by it.
You can treat the burns with antiseptic wash and a weak steroid cream, but some also swear on the effectiveness of tooth paste (the old type, not gel).
Luckily we've only seen them so far but none of us have burn marks yet. Some people we know have, so I hope the rainy season is over soon and the nasty Nairobi fly gets replaced by the next insect (which by the way I hope is not the locust. I've seen a few of them already and they are not nice either).
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