Causes blisters just by brushing… ‘Burning bug’ of fear at the Jamboree

Among the participants of the ‘2023 Saemangeum World Scout스포츠토토 Jamboree’, where heat-related patients poured out due to the heat wave amid insufficient preparation for the competition, even patients bitten by burn bugs are appearing one after another.

According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the 6th, the number of Jamboree-related patients that occurred on the 3rd day reached 1,486.

Among them, 383 patients were caused by insects, accounting for 36.1%, the highest. It was followed by skin rashes in 250 (17.1%) and heat symptoms in 138 (9.4%).

In the water pits in the campground, mosquitoes and ‘blue ant half-wings’ called ‘burn bugs’ were infested, causing insect bites one after another. Members of the British scout delegation who decided to leave the Jamboree early complained that they suffered from bugs.

The burn bug, which is 6 to 7 millimeters in length and looks like an ant, emits a toxic substance called Federin when stimulated. When this substance comes into contact with the flesh, it burns like a fire, causing redness and blistering of the skin.

When you are bitten by a burn insect, do not touch or scratch the wound and wash it thoroughly with running water or soap.

Pain and itchiness appear at the wound site for a few days, and usually heal spontaneously after 2 to 3 weeks. Applying topical steroids or topical antibiotic ointment relieves symptoms, and in some cases, steroids and antihistamines can be taken.

Burn bugs are usually a problem when touched, so do not hold them with your hands and do not touch the carcass. When bugs are attached to the skin, remove them by blowing with your mouth or by applying a piece of paper that the bugs can move to.