Nairobi fly infection cases have also been reported from many districts of north Bengal including Darjeeling, neighbouring Sikkim and parts of Bhutan.
More than a hundred students of an engineering college in Sikkim recently suffered severe skin infections after coming in contact with poisonous Acid fly or Nairobi fly. Officials on Tuesday informed that a student who was infected by the Nairobi fly insect had to undergo surgery on his hand, while other infected students were given medication and are now recovering.
Cases of Nairobi fly infection have also been reported from many districts of north Bengal including Darjeeling, neighbouring Sikkim and parts of Bhutan. Acid fly infection first appeared in Sikkim and has since spread to its surrounding areas. Around 100 students of North Bengal University (NBU), Siliguri are affected by this.
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The fear and panic among the students has increased so much that many have left the hostels and gone back to their homes. Meanwhile, the Darjeeling District Administration has issued an advisory to prevent this dangerous fly. Mainly children and people with sensitive skin are getting infected by this insect.
Darjeeling District Magistrate S Ponnambalam said that they have issued an advisory to people to adopt measures like wearing full sleeve clothes, avoiding going out in the evening, using mosquito nets, using dim lights indoors. In case of infection, people should immediately contact for treatment.
The superintendent of Darjeeling District Hospital said that so far 3 to 4 cases of acid fly bites have been reported in Darjeeling and none of them required hospitalisation. In this situation, there will be no major threat and people need to remain calm and not panic. The District Magistrate has said that at present their goal is to control the infection and find the breeding sites of the insect.
As per PTI, the Health Department officials said that Nairobi flies are growing rapidly at the campus of the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) in Majhitar.
What is Nairobi fly infection?
Nairobi flies which are native to East Africa are also known as Kenyan flies or dragon bugs. The small, beetle-like insects are orange and black in colour and are usually found in areas with high rainfall like Sikkim and mostly infect children and people with sensitive skin.
Nairobi flies are attracted by bright light and moist areas. These flies usually destroy crops and eat pests. As per Health Department, Nairobi flies do not bite or sting. However, if disturbed while sitting on anyone's body, they release a potent acidic substance that causes burns. The toxin causing these burns is called pederin.
Pederin is produced by symbiotic bacteria that live inside the Nairobi flies. The fluid released by these bugs can cause unusual burns, dermatitis or lesions on the skin. Pinhead-sized blisters could erupt in 24 to 48 hours filled with a yellowish fluid. But these usually dry out and don't leave scars.
More severe cases could happen if the toxin is more widespread over the body and could cause fever, nerve pains, joint pains or vomiting. If the toxins come in contact with person's eyes, it can cause conjunctivitis and potentially temporary blindness.
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 "What is Nairobi fly infection which has created panic in North Bengal?")
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