No see ums in Fiji?

[Shasta_man]

Something is eating us up in Fiji. This is happening mostly on our arms but we don't see anything flying.

Just wondering if anyone else recognizes this. Does not appear to match bed bug pattern. Of course there are mosquitoes and probably a few here but majority are blotchy spots

 

[Zef]

Looks a bit like contact dermatitis or mild case of poison ivy (or similar plant).

Perhaps sensitivity to detergent used to wash the bed sheets.

Perhaps someone else made contact with urishiol oil (found in poison ivy type plants) and got it on a surface you subsequently made contact with.

Perhaps you brushed up against a surface that has residue from a cleaning chemical.

Perhaps spider bites.

-Z

 

[TostitoBandito]

I've never experienced no-see-ums in Fiji, and also you normally get those mostly on lower legs from standing/sitting on or near the beach. Are these just on your arms, or your entire body? If entire body, bedbugs also a possibility.

I second the guess of an allergic reaction of some sort, maybe from a plant or possibly some sort of chemical.

 

[runsongas]

there are sand flies which if you spend a lot of time on or near the beach without repellent may be the cause

but that generally also involves getting bites on the legs too unless if you are in a wading pool/plunge pool by the ocean the whole time

bed bugs are possible but very rare at hotels/resorts

 

[Zef]

Are you eating/drinking a lot of mango while in Fiji? I know it is a common fruit there. Mango contains urushiol, the same oily substance that causes skin reaction with poison ivy/poison oak/poison sumac. The skin of the mango, sap from the tree, leaves, and even the fruit can cause a reaction.

About a year ago, one of my daughters had a reaction to a store bought mango...her face, around her mouth, broke out with blister-like hives. She would typically slice the mango and then dice the fruit on the skin and then eat it right off the skin.

Another food that folks tend to have similar reaction to is cashews, particularly raw cashews, as the urushiol oil is found in the shells which can contaminate the nut.

-Z

 

[Shasta_man]

Thanks all for the responses. It's nearly all on my arms. And the new spots just appears in the morning. After it initially started appearing I sprayed body top and bottom lightly with bug spray before going to bed, it was a deet alternative type. But stopped after day 2 not working. I put a ton of fresh and salt water on it over those days so expect it was washed off thoroughly.

This spot happened since last night.

I look for little holes in the top but don't see them in all.

I am very familiar with poison ivy from getting a huge spot covering my thigh when a kid in NY. Had that so long I stopped putting medicine on and it eventually went away on its own.

Seems allergic reaction but puzzled by only on my arms and overnight appearance.

 

[TostitoBandito]

Are you using any new sunscreen or anything on your arms? Could be allergic to something that you're applying.

I agree it's a weird one. Doesn't sound like no-see-um's/sand fleas, and doesn't really have the hallmarks of insect bites either.

 

[runsongas]

what type of bug spray do you have? if you can get some DEET based ones that are 25% or higher preferably, you can test it without going all out to the saran wrap and packing tape

Repellency of selected chemicals against the bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) - PubMed

In recent years, the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), became a major public health concern in urban communities. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to control, and their bites are not tolerated by most people. The public has an urgent need for materials and methods to...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov