The mystery of the itching outbreak that has taken Greater Recife in recent weeks, according to dermatologists, is solved. According to a pair of doctors who studied the case, moths of the genus Hylesia are responsible for skin problems.
The Executive Secretariat for Health Surveillance of Recife, however, does not rule out other reasons for the skin lesions reported mainly on the trunk and arms, accompanied by itching.
Cláudia Ferraz, a member of a task force created by the municipal administration to investigate the episodes, and Vidal Haddad Junior are the dermatologists responsible for the study to determine the causes of the problem, they say that the genus moths are to blame. Hylesia.
According to specialists, these insects, which are in the reproduction period, are attracted by light spots and, therefore, they usually enter homes. When thrashing against light bulbs, they release tiny body bristles that penetrate human skin, causing intense itching.
According to Haddad Junior, the delay in defining the reason for the itch was due to lack of communication. “There was a little delay in the diagnosis, panic was created, absurd hypotheses came up. In fact, it was a simple thing.”
Among the “absurd” reasons, scabies (human scabies) was soon ruled out by doctors. “The type of transmission is different, the distribution and appearance of the skin lesions were different and no mite was found in many samples of direct examination and histopathological exams”, says a note from the Brazilian Society of Dermatology. Allergy or insect bites were also among the hypotheses.
In November, an article produced by researchers at Ufal (Federal University of Alagoas) pointed out as a possible cause the indiscriminate use of ivermectin. The drug is used to treat scabies and lice and is also part of the so-called “Covid kit”, a set of remedies with no proven efficacy in combating Covid-19.
For Marcella Abath, executive secretary of Health Surveillance in Recife, it is not possible to rule out other hypotheses, but the one involving the moth is the strongest so far. “Is that all the cases? Probably not. There are certainly reports that are of other issues, like everyday life.”
According to the city hall, fieldwork, monitoring and investigation should be completed by the end of the week. The work team includes dermatologists, infectologists and epidemiologists.
The proximity to the forest attracted attention from the beginning, with most cases occurring within 250 meters of the Atlantic Forest. So much so that more than half of the 235 reports registered in Recife are concentrated in Dois Irmãos and Guabiraba, neighborhoods neighboring the region.
The first cases in Pernambuco emerged in early October, but intensified around the turn of the month. In less than a week, at the end of November, notifications jumped from 185 to 427, according to information released by city halls. In the capital, 49 districts registered reports.
Haddad Junior recalls that similar outbreaks have been reported in recent years in other locations, such as Jundiaí, São Vicente and Ubatuba, cities in São Paulo. “The animal is small, gray, and unremarkable. Moths indoors once in a while everyone does. So it took a while for people to associate.”
Few moths generate this problem, he highlights. In the case of gender Hylesia, “they struggle against the light and the hairs on the abdomen come loose and stay in the air, on the bed, on the table”, explains the doctor.
According to the doctor, the outbreak must have passed. “The moth shouldn’t be there anymore. It may never happen there again, but another may happen. [episódio]. It’s completely random.” He even recommends that people go to health professionals and avoid self-medicating.
The city also advises that doors and windows be kept closed to prevent the insect from entering the home. Another recommendation is that residents wipe the house, instead of sweeping, so that the moth’s bristles are not spread.
Abath also indicates not to leave clothes on the clothesline and to control artificial light, as it is a point that attracts the animal.
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