Most of the time, mosquito bites cause nothing but an annoying itch that just needs to be scratched away.
However, they can also carry diseases, such as dengue and other more fatal infections.
A recent inquest hearing found that a 21-year-old trainee pilot from England had passed away after getting bitten by the blood-thirsty insect last year.
Source: JustGiving
The coroner’s report stated that the mosquito bite in question caused a serious infection that subsequently spread to her brain.
Describing the incident as an “unfortunate tragedy”, the coroner stated that he has never seen such a case before.
According to the BBC, trainee commercial airline pilot Oriana Pepper, 21, was in Belgium in July 2021 when the insect bit her.
Source: JustGiving
Ms Pepper had reportedly travelled to Belgium for her instrument ratings. It’s a course that trains pilots to fly while relying only on their aircraft instruments.
After getting a peck on the forehead by the bug, Ms Pepper visited a hospital on 7 Jul 2021 when the bite swelled up and appeared infected.
The Independent reports that doctors prescribed her antibiotics. However, the medicine did not help.
Two days later, Pepper collapsed in front of her boyfriend, who rushed her to the hospital.
She passed away just three days later on 12 Jul 2021.
At a hearing on Wednesday (6 Jul), nearly a year after the incident, senior coroner Nigel Parsley concluded that the girl had passed away “as a result of a serious infection caused by an insect bite to the forehead”.
He explained that the infection entered Ms Pepper’s skin and spread to the carotid artery that runs along the neck.
The infection subsequently caused septic emboli – or a blockage of blood vessels – in Ms Pepper’s brain. This has been recorded as the medical cause of her death.
Also contributing was an infection by a bacteria called staphylococcus aureus.
During the hearing, Mr Parsley described the case as an “unfortunate tragedy”, especially given the bright future Ms Pepper had ahead of her.
He also said that the case was unlike any that he has ever seen.
Daily Mail reports that Ms Pepper’s family has worked with the British Women Pilots’ Association to establish a scholarship in memory of her. The aim is to encourage other women to become pilots as well.
In most cases, mosquito bites are like the insects themselves — they annoy us, but they are usually not deadly.
However, in Ms Pepper’s case, it seems she was unfortunate that the bite led to an infection that eventually proved fatal.
On a related note, we hope this serves as a reminder for folks in Singapore to keep a close eye on potential mosquito breeding spots that could contribute to the spread of other vector-borne diseases.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from JustGiving.
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