Cockroaches are probably among the most repulsive creatures on the planet. However, a little-known fact about them is the danger they carry – which a woman in Thailand found out the hard way.
A cockroach bit 40-year-old Ms Minor on the knee in the middle of her sleep. She soon started to experience a severe allergic reaction and had to stay in the hospital.
She received prompt medical assistance and has largely recovered, save for a few residual aches.
According to Thai media outlet Thaiger, the incident occurred in the Kanchanaburi province of Central Thailand.
Source: Thaiger
Ms Minor, who’s Burmese, said she felt a bite on her knee while she was sleeping and woke up with a start. She alerted her husband immediately, who turned the light on to find a large cockroach fleeing toward the toilet.
He then chased and killed it before placing it in a plastic bag.
But this was no ordinary bite. The area had become swollen and she had a severe allergic reaction in the form of pain throughout her body, dizziness, headaches, and a skin rash.
Ms Minor proceeded to call the Khun Rattanawut Rescue Team, informing them of her symptoms.
The team rushed to the scene, providing first aid before conveying her to the hospital.
One of the rescuers on the team, Persia Jongtawon, posted a picture of the cockroach on Facebook. In the caption, he added that he had ‘never seen anything like this before’.
Speaking to local news outlet Thairath, she said the doctor gave her an injection and allowed her to rest. She didn’t ingest any pills or have to follow up on additional appointments.
She also added that she was still experiencing some pain in her wound but could attend work as per usual. Showing reporters the swollen bite, it resembled a blister and was surrounded by black dots.
Strangely enough, Ms Minor now keeps the dead cockroach in a plastic bag to remind her of her experience.
A professor from the Department of Agricultural Science at Mahidol University in Kanchanaburi, Chayanut Kaewmanee, spoke about the incident to Thairath.
Ms Chayanut identified it as an American cockroach, common in Thailand. They hide in areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, restaurants, sewers or trash bins.
The insects are also active at night, eating food scraps and the remains of abandoned plants and animals.
Cockroaches are typically not dangerous, but can be a breeding ground for pathogens and parasites. They will only bite humans if there are remnants of food clinging to their skin or nails.
As such, she recommended those with cockroach bites clean the wounds with water immediately. This will help them avoid infection from any bacteria and germs on the cockroach.
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Featured image adapted from Thaiger and Facebook.
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