Abstract: | "Introduction: In South America, accidents involving caterpillar venom of the genus Lonomia have become a growing public health concern in recent years. Treatment includes the use of antilonomic serum and careful monitoring in hospital settings. However, the severity criteria and diagnostic tests to approach the patients are still unclear. Case presentation: A 35-year-old farmer from La Jagua de Ibirico, Cesar (Colombia), was admitted to a local primary care hospital on November 25, 2018, due to headache, dizziness, and left arm pain. He reported being stung by an animal whose species he could not identify 5 days earlier, experiencing immediate pain in the affected arm. After ruling out several infectious diseases and a possible ophidian accident, and considering his clinical course, erucism due to Lonomia spp. was suspected. Two weeks after the event, treatment was started with antilonic serum obtained from the Butantan Institute of Brazil, which resulted in complete resolution of the symptoms. No complications related to the event were observed during the follow-up performed at 3 days, 1 month, and 3 months. Conclusion: Primary care physicians must be adequately trained on Lonomia spp. accidents, since their diagnosis is mainly based on an accurate clinical assessment and erucisms (the most severe form of this type of poisoning) may manifest in an atypical manner, as in the case presented here, in which the patient developed a cutaneous hemorrhagic syndrome."
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