Even if you have never heard the name of this insect, you are probably familiar with its bites. The moose fly is often mistaken for a tick because, when it lands on a prey, it often discards its wings.
The main “food” of these parasites are artiodactyls. But moose flies do not disdain humans. It is believed that moose flies choose large victims. That is, the taller and thicker a person is, the greater the risk of being bitten by this insect.
“The main “food” of moose flies is the blood of artiodactyls (elk, deer, horses), specialists from the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences told aif.ru, “so it lives where these animals live. There are many of them in swampy areas.
The moose fly is unusually persistent. If it sits on the skin, it will not be easy to shake it off. It clings firmly and does not react to sudden movements. Even crushing it is quite difficult due to its hard chitinous cover. Moose flies contain spirochetes in some quantities, which are the causative agents of Lyme disease. However, experts do not have a consensus on whether insects can infect humans with them.”
How to protect yourself from a moose fly bite?
Theoretically, you can protect yourself from moose flies using repellents. But, according to reviews, they work poorly. The only reliable remedy is thick clothing that reliably protects against all insects.
How dangerous is a moose fly bite?
A moose fly bites no more painfully than a mosquito. Those who report elk flies being unbearably painful are usually allergic to their saliva. Such people may develop erythema, which can become large and itchy. People prone to allergic reactions may develop an allergy to the bites of these insects.
“Insect allergy – a reaction to bites and interaction with insects – is quite rare – in 0.48% of people in the world, 40% of them are children under 12 years old,” said aif.ru Allergist-immunologist Ella Churyukina. — To make a diagnosis of “insect allergy,” various tests are used. An allergy history (data collection) and examination of the patient are important.
A possible sign of allergic inflammation is eosinophilia (increased number of eosinophils in the blood). Laboratory research methods are also used to determine allergen-specific immunoglobulin to insect allergens.
Also now popular is molecular allegro diagnostics, where you can find out the presence of hypersensitivity to the venom of certain stinging insects.”
Source: aif.ru
