Clinician's Guide to Arthropod Bites and Stings
ORCID
Goddard: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2617-7141
MSU Affiliation
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology
Creation Date
2026-07-30
Abstract
The human body may react in various ways to foreign substances such as arthropod venom or saliva. This chapter presents a set of diagnostic tools and a list of some common bites and reactions. Arthropod bite or sting reactions can be loosely grouped into four basic categories: mechanical trauma, secondary infection, immunologic (hypersensitivity) reactions, and direct toxic effects. The number and location of skin lesions may provide clues for determining the cause of mysterious bites/stings/lesions. Residual effects of arthropod bites that occurred days or weeks earlier may also be classified and used as useful hints for diagnosis. The first line of therapy for systemic reactions to insect bites or stings is appropriate doses of intramuscular epinephrine, most frequently given with either an adult or pediatric autoinjector as appropriate. The mainstay of therapy for local bites and stings is keeping the area clean and applying topical antibiotics to prevent secondary infection.
Publication Date
1-1-2019
Publication Title
The Goddard Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance
Publisher
CRC Press
Recommended Citation
Moraru, G. M., & Goddard, J. (2019). Clinician’s Guide to Common Arthropod Bites and Stings. In The Goddard Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance (7th ed.). CRC Press.
