In the past several years I've developed a bad allergic reaction to Honey Bee stings and always need to have my Epi-Pen available nearby ...and I'm curious how many other safari hunters have the same situation...

Question is...did you have any allergic reactions to Tsetse fly bites?

Are there areas in Zim, RSA, or Namibia where tsetse flies are not as highly infested?

Thanks!

There were no tsetse in the Save when I was there last year, but they can be bad in the valley. I start a course of antihistamine before I arrive and I carry Betnovate cream from my doctor which I use on the bites straight away and which works very well.

quote:

Originally posted by R.Jolly:
There were no tsetse in the Save when I was there last year, but they can be bad in the valley. I start a course of antihistamine before I arrive and I carry Betnovate cream from my doctor which I use on the bites straight away and which works very well.

I take the antihistamine for if I need it. One trip in valley was horrific and needed them badly. But most the time they don't bother me much. Do permethrin on your clothes and the skin-so-soft works great for me.

Roland,

I have a reaction to the tetse bites. I get a raised area around the bite about the size of a dime. Once on the Luangwa I had 42 bites at one time on my body. My uvula swelled up to the point that if I coughed I had to swallow it back as it would rest on my tongue. Some antihistamines and I was fine but they do effect me strongly.

The Luangwa and Zambezi valleys seem to be stronghold for these pests.

Mark

I havee pretty much the same reaction with the tsetse flies. Area the size of a quarter this time. It itched like crazy and still hasn't healed. Avon skin so soft with bug guard helps immensely.

Are they present in any numbers near the Niassa Reserve, Moz?

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
I havee pretty much the same reaction with the tsetse flies. Area the size of a quarter this time. It itched like crazy and still hasn't healed. Avon skin so soft with bug guard helps immensely.

SHMBO reacts really badly and bite wounds usually swell to the size of half an egg and also remain open for months on end..... about the only thing that helps is regular applications of antiseptic cream and then they eventually heal.

One thing that works a lot better for me than her is one of those electric clicker pens where I zap the wound straight after I get bitten. Then all that pain and itching stops immediately.

As has been said, Avon Skin So Soft is a good repellent but it does need fresh applications on a fairly regular basis.

I have a deadly reaction to ibuprofen as well as having major swelling from noseem bites. When I went to the valley 2011 I brought two Epi-pens, one for camp and one in the cruiser. I never had any allergic reactions to any bug bites but I sure felt a lot safer that I had brought them. I thought that would be part of the camps first aid supplies but they hadn't heard of such a thing. I left one in there in Chenji camp for other hunters to use should the need arise. By the way they will save your life in an emergency!

Thanks Steve.
I've been using Neosporin and it is getting smaller but never had this happen before. Gonna have to pay more attention to them in the future.

I appreciate all the replies

Sounds like I'll be okay having them epi-pens with me and good idea to leave at least one or two behind for them hunters after me.

But it sounds like I should avoid the heavily infested areas Mark mentioned...Still looking/researching where to take my next safari and try to start saving the funds

Roland

Most tsetse bites are incurred in the hunting truck because they're attracted to large, slow moving objects and in the good old days, we used to keep one or two of those old car hub caps (anyone remember those) and a bag of dry elephant turds....... light a turd or two and just let them smoulder in the hub cap and it'd keep the vast majority of tsetses away.

Unfortunately, those hub caps seem to have gone out of fashion.

quote:

...Are there areas in Zim, RSA, or Namibia where tsetse flies are not as highly infested?

Thanks!

I've never seen a tsetse fly in Namibia and I've spend a decent amount of time in the central, northwestern, northern and Caprivi areas.

Hello Jorge,

I appreciate the comments...especially about the Caprivi, definitely high up on the list

Thanks!

Roland

Has anyone tried Benadryl for the reaction. I know that is suggested for bee and wasp stings.
Had a horse hit on the snout by a western diamondback some years back. The entire side of his head swole up. Called the vet and he said to put some oats in his feed bag and put a dozen Benedryl in with it. Horse ate all the oats and the Benedrly. about 6 hours later, all the swelling had gone and the horse was fine. Killed that snake a little later; a 5 1/2 footer with a whopper sized head.

My wife had swelling from tsetse bites. Hand swelled up pretty good and itchy. I was using the avon skin so soft with the insect repellent Picirdin in the towelettes and they lasted the whole day. My wife did not put on hands but face arms neck covered.
Swelling from tse tse bite

Hunting in the Selous in September 2001 was my worst experience with the miserable little bastards. Both my partner and I got hit hard and repeatedly to the point we both missed a half day hunting. They will make you sick if you get lots of bites. Took antihistamines and applied cortizone cream. Also downed some antibiotics as a preventive of possible infections. Partners back must have had 50 bites - wall to wall welts as described by others here. Fortunately, no lasting ill effects.

No where else has even come close and most places don't have 'em. Just returned from 2 weeks in the Caprivi and neither of us got a single bite and I never saw one there.

Appreciate all the replies
Did any of you ALREADY have a known allergic reaction to Bee stings...just trying to see if there's a correlation between the two...meaning that if I'm already known to be allergic to HONEY BEE stings that the bite from the Tsetse Fly would be a "GUARANTEED ALLERGIC" reaction?

Something I would like to avoid if at all possible and hunt in an area where these buggers are unseen

If just NW Namibia and the Caprivi where they're next to nil then I may just have to resign myself there...no problem of course I could dig a hunt in those Northern regions of Namibia

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Has anyone tried Benadryl for the reaction. I know that is suggested for bee and wasp stings.
Had a horse hit on the snout by a western diamondback some years back. The entire side of his head swole up. Called the vet and he said to put some oats in his feed bag and put a dozen Benedryl in with it. Horse ate all the oats and the Benedrly. about 6 hours later, all the swelling had gone and the horse was fine. Killed that snake a little later; a 5 1/2 footer with a whopper sized head.

Benedryl would definitely be a good choice of medication.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Has anyone tried Benadryl for the reaction. I know that is suggested for bee and wasp stings.
Had a horse hit on the snout by a western diamondback some years back. The entire side of his head swole up. Called the vet and he said to put some oats in his feed bag and put a dozen Benedryl in with it. Horse ate all the oats and the Benedrly. about 6 hours later, all the swelling had gone and the horse was fine. Killed that snake a little later; a 5 1/2 footer with a whopper sized head.

Benedryl would definitely be a good choice of medication.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is a banned substance (unless things have changed) in Zambia so I wouldn't recommend taking it in.

A far more effect OTC antihistamine that is also non-drousy is Fexofenadine (Allegra) available in the full prescription dose of 180 mgm.

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
My wife had swelling from tsetse bites. Hand swelled up pretty good and itchy. I was using the avon skin so soft with the insect repellent Picirdin in the towelettes and they lasted the whole day. My wife did not put on hands but face arms neck covered.
Swelling from tse tse bite

Mike,

If she goes back I would recommend she consider removing the rings. If her left hand swelled like her right she could have a real problem.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Roland,

I have a reaction to the tetse bites. I get a raised area around the bite about the size of a dime. Once on the Luangwa I had 42 bites at one time on my body. My uvula swelled up to the point that if I coughed I had to swallow it back as it would rest on my tongue. Some antihistamines and I was fine but they do effect me strongly.

The Luangwa and Zambezi valleys seem to be stronghold for these pests.

Mark

Mark,

You are the sort of person I like to have with me in the back of the truck - to attract the flies

We were driving to the air strip on the way back home last year, and Chris was sitting next to me in the back.

He was being attacked non-stop by the tse tse flies, and Roy and me ever had one bite.

I take garlic tablets eve3ry day, and I was told that actually helps.

Another important thing to do is make sure you have plenty of repellent on, and wear long sleeves and trousers.

They loved me too. And maybe I'm getting immune because this year they went away in less than a week. The first two times I was bitten the swelling lasted a couple of weeks and the redness was there for 1 to 1.5 months.

Benadryl didn't help much for me. The itching may have been a little less but not much. Nor cortizone cream. One camp manager cut a sausage tree sausage open and rubbed it on and it helped a little but not for long. I am not allergic to any other bites except some mosquitos.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
... we used to keep one or two of those old car hub caps (anyone remember those).....

Unfortunately, those hub caps seem to have gone out of fashion.

They stopped producing Austins long ago Steve

I have never had that bad a reaction to them, but have had some patients with real doozies of bites.

First is trying to avoid the bite in the first place. Treating your clothes with permethrin and using a good insect repellant will help. I think Avon's picardin formulas work better than DEET for Tsetse flies.

Second would be topical treatment- calamine helps some (but it is not proven very effective) or a hydrocortisone cream. OTC 0.5-1% or a prescription steroid cream from your doc. Some like antihistamine creams, but I have never been that impressed with how well they work. Putting ice on the bite right away can help also. I have heard of the electroshock treatments, but have never seen any literature worth anything about it.

Third would be an oral antihistamine. These are actually H1 receptor blockers. The older, typical antihistamines (benadryl is an example) tend to cause pretty good sedation in someone who does not use them regularly. As was pointed out, in Zambia for sure, and maybe some other African nations, it is a prohibited substance. (they are also available as injection, but that is besides the point here) and can be dosed quite highly when you can be monitored. Allegra, claritin, and Zyrtec are all newer "second generation" antihistamines and don't have the strong sedation (but if you are really susceptible to it or you take high doses, they will sedate as well...) but don't seem to have quite as much effect as the benadryl does.

I have had some luck with giving people Zantac (the ulcer medication)with the antihistamine (it is a H2 receptor blocker) and had people say the combination works well.

The fourth thing would to have some oral steroid like prednisone around. Talk to your doc about that- it has a lot of side effects (including psychosis) so it is not something to use lightly.

The epi pen is a very specialized item. It really is only for anaphylactic shock reactions. The idea is it bumps up your blood pressure so you don't collapse and die of shock- no real special "stops immune reaction" properties for it. This is prescription only, so you will have to talk with your doc about it. (edit to add- it will also help open an airway that is swollen shut- as it is an injection, it gets in fast, which is its biggest benefit.)

I have not seen any literature that says that there is a cross reaction between the hymenoptera (bees) and Tsetse flies.

Of course, all this medical stuff should be discussed with your regular doc, not a bunch of us on the 'net...

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Has anyone tried Benadryl for the reaction. I know that is suggested for bee and wasp stings.
Had a horse hit on the snout by a western diamondback some years back. The entire side of his head swole up. Called the vet and he said to put some oats in his feed bag and put a dozen Benedryl in with it. Horse ate all the oats and the Benedrly. about 6 hours later, all the swelling had gone and the horse was fine. Killed that snake a little later; a 5 1/2 footer with a whopper sized head.

Benedryl would definitely be a good choice of medication.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is a banned substance (unless things have changed) in Zambia so I wouldn't recommend taking it in.

A far more effect OTC antihistamine that is also non-drousy is Fexofenadine (Allegra) available in the full prescription dose of 180 mgm.

good Lord, that sounds like the Socialist Republic of California!!

crbutler-
Appreciate you taking the time and sharing this...very helpful indeed


Saeed-
Garlic tablets and repellent sounds like the way to go!


***Everyone thank you...never thought of this til today...hence my thread!

Roland

Garlic is an all rounder - good for the heart, keeping the tsetse at arm's length and ticks away from dogs.

I have found it to be more effective in its natural state if you crunch a clove or two several times a day.

The Parks department in Zim used to run trap lines for tsetses with an artificial buffalo sweat as an attractant which was very effective. One PH once played a joke on another by secretly placing a container of the attractant under the seat of his truck.
It also worked very well !!!!

I've got an old friend/hunting buddy/client who is a real practical joker and he used to catch tsetse flies, pull a wing off and drop the fly into the pocket or down the back of the neck of the unwary.

I got my own back in spades when we were flying out of the SGR one time by doing the same to him with 2 of the little buggers and dropping them down his bum crack just as he was climbing into the aircraft.

He didn't stop wriggling for the whole flight!

quote:

Are there areas in Zim, RSA, or Namibia where tsetse flies are not as highly infested?

In Limpopo around Ellisras and up to the Botswana border I have never been bothered by the flies

quote:

Originally posted by David Culpepper:

quote:

Are there areas in Zim, RSA, or Namibia where tsetse flies are not as highly infested?

In Limpopo around Ellisras and up to the Botswana border I have never been bothered by the flies

Thank you David

Roland

quote:

Originally posted by cjw:
They loved me too. And maybe I'm getting immune because this year they went away in less than a week. The first two times I was bitten the swelling lasted a couple of weeks and the redness was there for 1 to 1.5 months.

Benadryl didn't help much for me. The itching may have been a little less but not much. Nor cortizone cream. One camp manager cut a sausage tree sausage open and rubbed it on and it helped a little but not for long. I am not allergic to any other bites except some mosquitos.

This reaction looks more like a clotting problem from someone on a platelet inhibitor like Plavix.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Has anyone tried Benadryl for the reaction. I know that is suggested for bee and wasp stings.
Had a horse hit on the snout by a western diamondback some years back. The entire side of his head swole up. Called the vet and he said to put some oats in his feed bag and put a dozen Benedryl in with it. Horse ate all the oats and the Benedrly. about 6 hours later, all the swelling had gone and the horse was fine. Killed that snake a little later; a 5 1/2 footer with a whopper sized head.

Benedryl would definitely be a good choice of medication.

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is a banned substance (unless things have changed) in Zambia so I wouldn't recommend taking it in.

A far more effect OTC antihistamine that is also non-drousy is Fexofenadine (Allegra) available in the full prescription dose of 180 mgm.

I don't know Jim...while I concede diphenhydramine will cause drowsiness (which might not be a bad thing at night when itchy)...it is still the anti-histamine in which all others are measured in regards to Type I hypersensitivy reactions in the skin of people.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:

Third would be an oral antihistamine. These are actually H1 receptor blockers. The older, typical antihistamines (benadryl is an example) tend to cause pretty good sedation in someone who does not use them regularly. As was pointed out, in Zambia for sure, and maybe some other African nations, it is a prohibited substance. (they are also available as injection, but that is besides the point here) and can be dosed quite highly when you can be monitored. Allegra, claritin, and Zyrtec are all newer "second generation" antihistamines and don't have the strong sedation (but if you are really susceptible to it or you take high doses, they will sedate as well...) but don't seem to have quite as much effect as the benadryl does.

I have had some luck with giving people Zantac (the ulcer medication)with the antihistamine (it is a H2 receptor blocker) and had people say the combination works well.

Your approach has been verified in horses.

The only antihisamine that works well for itchy skin in horses is hydroxazine (Atarax in humans). Interestingly it has been shown to be first pass metabolized to cetirizine (Zyrtec) in horses. But cetirizine is not bioavailable to horses...hence we use hydroxazine.

But...many skin lesions in horses (even some melanomas...which are NOT very aggressive in horses) respond better to the combination of H1 & H2 blockers with cimetidine (Tagament) being the best in horses.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

Your approach has been verified in horses.

The only antihisamine that works well for itchy skin in horses is hydroxazine (Atarax in humans). Interestingly it has been shown to be first pass metabolized to cetirizine (Zyrtec) in horses. But cetirizine is not bioavailable to horses...hence we use hydroxazine.

But...many skin lesions in horses (even some melanomas...which are NOT very aggressive in horses) respond better to the combination of H1 & H2 blockers with cimetidine (Tagament) being the best in horses.

Lane,

When I first began having allergic reactions to BEE STINGS...the doctor in the ER prescribed HYDROXYZINE HCL 25MG PO TABS....

What's the diff between the two meds..I see one spelled "oxa" and mine "oxy"...???

How does this actually work with our bodies?

All I know it puts me out of commission for a solid 24 hrs...I get very tired, sleepy, and lethargic!

I carry these pills AND Epi-PEN in my truck at all times and some in my backpack.

Which would you think works better for my allergic reaction to bee stings?...haven't need to use the Epi-Pen to date knock on wood...just curious.

MD never did discuss these things with me before and neither did I ask...and soon will

Would appreciate your comments!

Roland

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

Your approach has been verified in horses.

The only antihisamine that works well for itchy skin in horses is hydroxazine (Atarax in humans). Interestingly it has been shown to be first pass metabolized to cetirizine (Zyrtec) in horses. But cetirizine is not bioavailable to horses...hence we use hydroxazine.

But...many skin lesions in horses (even some melanomas...which are NOT very aggressive in horses) respond better to the combination of H1 & H2 blockers with cimetidine (Tagament) being the best in horses.

Lane,

When I first began having allergic reactions to BEE STINGS...the doctor in the ER prescribed HYDROXYZINE HCL 25MG PO TABS....

What's the diff between the two meds..I see one spelled "oxa" and mine "oxy"...???

How does this actually work with our bodies?

All I know it puts me out of commission for a solid 24 hrs...I get very tired, sleepy, and lethargic!

I carry these pills AND Epi-PEN in my truck at all times and some in my backpack.

Which would you think works better for my allergic reaction to bee stings?...haven't need to use the Epi-Pen to date knock on wood...just curious.

MD never did discuss these things with me before and neither did I ask...and soon will

Would appreciate your comments!

Roland

My bad...it is hydroxyzine.

It is an antihistamine that blocks H1 receptors and can make you sleepy like Benadryl does by blocking H1 receptors in the central nervous system.

Thanks for the clarification...man that stuff knocks me off

quote:

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is a banned substance (unless things have changed) in Zambia so I wouldn't recommend taking it in.

Out of curiosity...does anyone know why diphenhydramine is banned in Zambia??? Is it because it potentiates the effects of alcohol?

I have had the same purple grapes on the ankles. Phenergin (sp) sorted it out but lost a day hunting feeling quite off.

Did some reading on sleeping sickness and the article mentioned an open sore on the bite sight as a warning.
Regards Stu

I have been reading the various posts on Tsetse flies and thought to post an article I penned a while back on the flies. It is light hearted, but was really aimed as raising awareness following a sharp increase in reported cases of Trips. I hope it entertains you all.

"Africa can be a particularly nasty place to live, especially if you love the outdoors and get to interact with the abundant creatures that inhabit our Dark Continent. Elephant, lion, hippos and crocodiles... while thrilling to look at, all seem to be waiting for that one careless mistake, or can be triggered by a thoughtless invasion of their safety zone. Following my editorial in the last issue of Lourens Erasmus’ near death encounter with a croc at Kariba, I have been pondering the many dangers that might await us as fishermen, and their effect on our psyche.

My love of wild animals is garnered with healthy respect. This is because I have been “tracked” by elephant following my scent in the bush, ambushed by sneaky buffalo watching my approach, and determinedly stalked by hippo as I have dragged stuck boats across shallow sand bars. Experience and knowledge of animal behavior helps, but at best I consider myself a novice at this, and prefer instead to avoid situations where lack of good judgment could get me stomped on.

I get particularly twitchy around hippo though. While I have never been capsized by one, or truly threatened to the point where I doubted my survival, I have been the target of several charges - on land as well as water - and have gained what many consider an unnatural fear of them. I know the fishing can be good around a pod of lazily basking hippo, and have also learned that for the most part, they will endeavor to get out of my way. But, it is those times when they do not behave as they should, that have given me cause for the irrational behavior I exhibit when in close proximity to the beasts. Over the years, I have tried to master the art of staring into their eyes to judge their intent, and on occasion have adopted an air of bravado to demonstrate my lack of fear. It works with dogs, so why not hippo? In truth, I have never really mastered the art of reading their minds, or even specific behavior with any great confidence, and seem unable to intimidate them with my presence.

But one of God’s creatures which has had a profound effect on my psyche, is the tsetse fly. I am both afraid and amused by this little stinging insect, and the effect it has on behavior... mine and that of others. I call it the “Tsetse Jive”. Experience has taught me, that a mature fly is capable of landing on your skin - usually some soft area such as your neck - ingesting a body-full of blood, and escaping undetected. This can happen many times over a relatively short period, and the first inkling one has of a bite, is at the onset of the first itch. For some reason, scratching one bite tends to activate all the others, and within seconds you do not have enough hands or long enough nails to satisfy your itching body as you contort into a convulsive flurry of scratching and slapping. This marks the onset of the Tsetse Jive.

Perhaps the most terrifying thing about these little flies, is their tenacity for life. Simply swatting them seems to goad them, and they go into super-stealth mode, flying faster and quieter so you never really know where they are. The only sure way to kill them, is to catch the culprit and crush him between your fingers till an audible crunch is heard, or simply bite its head off. I have, on occasion, done this out of sheer spite, though I suspect the act of malice was lost on the fly!

On my recent visit to Chikwenya (featured in this issue), we drove through several belts of flies, and as would be expected, ended up with some unwanted guests in the cab. My passenger had little experience of tsetse flies, and while extolling the many virtues of this super insect, I sat back and watched as one lone fly in the vehicle turned her into a blithering idiot.

In almost choreographed sequence, the “jive” started, and as is inevitable, with the casual “swat” at the passing fly. At this, the fly knew the game was on, and disappeared from sight. A few seconds ticked past, and I watched Renee grab the back of her neck, and run her fingers through her hair while suspiciously looking over both shoulders. This was the fly’s cue, and it lazily flew past her and dived at her feet, to once again disappear. As a little shudder rippled up her spine, she once again slapped her neck, then went into hyper-speed slapping her legs and ankles in some rendition of the Gum-Boot Dance. By this time the fly had maneuvered under the seat, up the back and landed on her head. Now jumping up to fold both her legs under her on the seat, she began slapping herself in earnest, a growing look of terror turning her eyes wide. The shudder which rippled her spine minutes before, had become a series of twitches as she begun uttering sounds of panic while scratching at imagery bites. She in fact, had not been bitten at all.

Then, as if appearing by magic, the fly landed on the dashboard. Armed with a map book, she swatted it with a loud clap, and smeared it on the dashboard, a vindictive smile crossing her face. Knowing as I did, that neither the swat nor the smear were sufficient to dispatch the fly, I watched as she lifted the book, and stared in horror as the fly began wiggling its legs, and took flight before she could launch another attack. At this, the whole dance started again, but this time with more fervour, and while I laughed uncontrollably at her antics, I too was engaged in my own little Tsetse Jive, but without the ability to fold my legs on the seat, had sustained several bites.

We did eventually manage to kill the fly... it is still smeared on my list of notes taken while at Chikwenya. But, for the rest of the drive home, any time I looked left or right sharply, or slapped or scratched at my body (which I did just to tease her), she began a new Tsetse Jive. Talk about conditioning! What fun. Even as I write this, I have run my fingers through my hair more than once, and scratched at my ankles. If you have ever been bitten by a Tsetse fly, I’ll bet you have done the same as you read this.

As funny as this all is, the proliferation of the tsetse fly in many parts of Zimbabwe again, brings with it a real danger of contracting sleeping sickness, and care should be taken in assessing symptoms of possible malaria after visiting the bush."