Skeeter Syndrome, and why I hate reserchers…well…not hate…but really strongly prefer the applied sciences…

Allergic reaction to mosquito bites identified for first time—”skeeter syndrome”
MILWAUKEE—Bug bites are a standard annoyance for those who spend time outside during the summer months. The consequence for most is uncomfortable swelling and itching at the site of the bite for a short period of time. However, young children, immune deficient persons and those previously unexposed to mosquitoes are at increased risk for a severe reaction to mosquito bites according to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Canadian researchers recently identified this reaction as “skeeter syndrome,” defined as mosquito-bite induced large, local inflammatory reactions accompanied by fever.

Large local reactions to mosquito bites are under diagnosed and sometimes assumed to be infectious in nature when in fact, they are the result of an allergic reaction. In this study, researchers studied five healthy children between the ages of two and four with no history of allergy to insect bites. Each had been diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin and tissue that is usually found on the face, neck or legs. The children developed extreme redness, swelling, warmth and inflammation within hours of a witnessed mosquito bite. Several months later the children were tested for allergy to mosquito. Blood tests confirmed that the children had been misdiagnosed–the symptoms they experienced were the result of an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite, not cellulitis.

People with skeeter syndrome should minimize their exposure to mosquitoes to avoid experiencing an adverse reaction. It is important to increase the awareness of skeeter syndrome so those affected can avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures and antibiotic treatments.

[From–“Skeeter syndrome.” J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104–705-707.]

The SCA has my hat (I think)!
Maybe I should engage in Guerrilla Knitting?

Governess Gone Goth

WEAVING!?!?! Orange Juice Carton Basket

Tragic Crafting…

But more importantly: Why don’t the folks on Survivor start studying how to do this THE SECOND they send their application in???

Cheap sock blockers for those of us with less dough than fiber.

Tucson, Meet Yourself! No, meet YOUR self. No really, meet…em…the food was great.

And, I promised you Hessians.

So here:

These Hessians….

not so much this one…

APOLOGIES! Dateline–Dallas, TX, 3:00am, Terminal C7, Samsung hospitality lounge. I flew to NYC to surprise my husband on our 10th Anniversary, and am currently stuck in D-FW airport (grrrrrrr) at 3AM. I was supposed to be home five hours ago. Don’t get me started…just please know that your podcast page was supposed to be up a long while ago. The Libsyn page should have loaded though, on Thursday, and the rss feed should have dumped the ‘cast onto iTunes. At least, that’s what I set it up to do… I’ll get the little GCast player up on this site ASAP.

Thank’s for your patience!

Book talk begins at 15:50. Listen to 27 audio.