You may have to 'pay a heavy price' for swishing flies and mosquitoes that land on your body

According to Yangcheng Evening News, a man named Vu living in Shenzhen province, China, lost his left eye after swiping a small fly that landed on his face.

This type of sewer fly (or butterfly fly) is quite common in tropical countries, including Vietnam. This fly species often lands on walls in damp areas with poor hygiene conditions.

After about 1 hour of swishing flies on his face, the man's left eye showed signs of swelling, redness and extreme pain. Thinking this was just a common eye pain, this person used eye drops. But his symptoms got worse so he went to a local hospital. He was diagnosed with seasonal conjunctivitis and was prescribed oral medication.

In the following days, the man's condition rapidly deteriorated. This person's left eye had almost completely lost vision when he came to the hospital for a follow-up examination. It turned out that the man had contracted a bacterial infection from the swatted fly.

Doctors decided to surgically remove his left eyeball due to the risk of affecting the brain.

Doctors warn people that they should not swat insects when they land on their face or in areas such as the eyes, nose, mouth, open wounds, etc. because they can cause bacterial infections. At that time, people should use their hands to repel insects and also remember to wash their hands with antibacterial soap every time they smack insects with their hands.

Marvin Fry

Update 01 August 2024