The Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health said that many people have been hospitalized in short time as they were bitten by red ants -a highly poisonous insect.
Most patients come from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and the northern city of Hai Phong. The poisonous ants usually appear in autumn season when farmers harvesting their crops are confronted with all kinds of insects such as worms, moths and red ants, some of which can bite and leave behind painful rash.
Accordingly, the Department of Preventive Medicine warned people to use yellow lights instead of fluorescent lights because the insect favor fluorescent lights.
In addition, people can prevent the insect entering the house by netting the windows and doors, regularly shutting the door, sleeping in net, and clearing the trees and bushes around the house’s premises as well as wearing long-sleeved outfits.
The health authority also said that the insects do not bite people yet their body has perderin – a poison to cause rash on skin. People who are bitten by red ants will experience stinging blisters on open skin such as face, throat, or hands.
Accordingly people should not kill them when they crawl up on people’s arms, necks, face or legs but remove them. If people kill them on arms, necks, face or legs by mistake, people should wash arms, necks, face or legs with soap to limit the poison and then soon go to medical clinics for treatment.
