Woman Died After Stepping on Venomous Caterpillars

Fox ^ | July 15, 2008 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

A Canadian woman died last year after stepping barefoot on several caterpillars, doctors reported in a teaching case published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The 22-year old woman from Alberta died 10 days after stepping on five caterpillars while on a trip to northeastern Peru.

[Daffynition]

Wow. Watch where you step. Lethal cattlepillars.

[Slings and Arrows]

Gotta watch out for those Caterpillars.

[Americanwolf]

must have crossbred w/ a bull to get those horns and that nose.

[RedRover]

Watch out below in Branson!

[Publius6961]

This is a perfect illustration of the other side of the coin when the Gaia worshipers say we need to save the jungles because the cure for cancer may be found there someday.

More immediate is the fact that the jungle has thousands of new and exotic ways to kill the unwary. Specially foreign visitors from an advanced country where ignorance and "touchy-feely" are epidemic.

Just saying.

[Soliton]

I need to know. Did the caterpillars survive?!

[allmendream]

Many toxins make good medicines once their molecular mode of action is discovered and the proper dose determined.

[Bush_Democrat]

Soon to be featured on a episode of House...

[RikaStrom]

self ping

[lilycicero]

Branson? Is that in Canada? I don’t know anything about either.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Here is the actual venomous caterpillar that is presumed to have caused her demise:

[Ghengis]

There are stinging caterpillars in the U.S. I remember getting touched by a few while tending the garden when I was a kid. Obviously, not nearlya s venemous as these.

[myprecious]

Soon to be featured on a episode of House...

Well, you know it is not Lupus. It is never Lupus.

[Daffynition]

HAHAHA! You're very bad!

[NewJerseyJoe]

I saw these highlighted on a nature program once. Nasty little buggers (no pun intended).

[Slings and Arrows]

Mind you, Caterpillar bites can be nasti...

[Dr. Ursus]

Well, there goes our trip to Machu Picchu.

[retrokitten]

Maybe I’ve watch too much Discovery and Animal Planet, but going barefoot in Peru just sounds like a bad idea in general.

[rabscuttle385]

This is a perfect illustration of the other side of the coin when the Gaia worshipers say we need to save the jungles because the cure for cancer may be found there someday.

Why am I suddenly reminded of a certain South Park episode about the rainforest and stupid Gaia-worshiping feel-good liberals?

[Slings and Arrows]

Maybe I’ve watch too much Discovery and Animal Planet, but going barefoot in Peru just sounds like a bad idea in general.

"I always went bearfoot in Peru."

[retrokitten]

LMAO!

[Slings and Arrows]

:^D

Memories of youth...

[Daffynition]

Kids can find trouble just about anywhere..

I'm glad you are OK. ;)

[Daffynition]

Thank you ... quite beautiful actually. ;)

[Vinnie]

You don’t have to look any farther than S. Fla.

There is a hairy green caterpillar that loves Hibiscus bushes there.
Brush against it and you’ll think someone stuck you w/ a red hot poker. ( aside from the red ants, wasps..)
Been there, several times, done that.

Rule of thumb.. If the caterpillar is hairy, it’s likely capable of stinging.

[DannyTN]

Apparently the proper does is less than 5.

[Orange1998]

Gezzzz! That is freaky looking.

[Orange1998]

Gezzzz! That is freaky looking.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Obviously, not nearlya s venemous as these.

It has a different method of lethality, it takes several decades.

[wendy1946]

You only have to look at that for an instant to comprehend that you don’t want to touch it or step on it...

[allmendream]

Five caterpillars applied topically to the bottom of the foot? Or do the spines make it a subdermal dose?

[Tax-chick]

The article doesn’t mention why she wasn’t wearing shoes.

[Bush_Democrat]

I don’t know about you, but from looking at the picture, that catepillar just screams out “DON’T TOUCH ME!!!!!”

[SoothingDave]

I never go barefoot in South America.

[libstripper]

Maybe I’ve watch too much Discovery and Animal Planet, but going barefoot in Peru just sounds like a bad idea in general.

There was an equally gruesome one in a Discovery Channel special on South American venomous snakes. This not-too-bright woman was visiting a Costa Rican nature preserve of some sort, went for a walk in flip flops her first night there, and got bitten by a Fer de Lance, one of the world's most horribly venomous pit vipers. Even though she got immediate treatment, the venom nearly dissolved her foot and it took her most of a year to recover some use. The foot was permanently disfigured.

[Ol' Sox]

I’ve seen that look before. My daughter looked just like that on her first amusement park ride. I felt horrible for having encouraged her to go on the ride. Makes me shudder just remembering it.

[radiohead]

but going barefoot in Peru just sounds like a bad idea in general.

No shite. Upon hearing something like this, we of the colored persuasion often respond, 'white people,' cause it usually takes a white person to do something so stupid. I bet Ms. Caterpillar was one of those people who thought that nature wouldn't harm her. Sadly, she found out too late that there is all kinds of natural stuff out there that will kill you if you don't watch out.

[Ghengis]

Obviously, not nearly as venemous as these.
It has a different method of lethality, it takes several decades.

Bummer. Now I'll just turn to a life of drinking and robbing banks and convenience stores since there is no hope.

[Tax-chick]

I never go barefoot except in my house or down the sidewalk to the mailbox.

[retrokitten]

Upon hearing something like this, we of the colored persuasion often respond, 'white people...

LMAO!! My first thought was, "hippy."

A few years ago at my job they were looking for people to go to Argentina to help open a new division. My reaction? Oh hell no, not only do they kidnap Americans, but there are all sorts of weird bugs and animals down there.

[Pyro7480]

The Fer de Lance is one of those creatures that cause most people nightmares. Another is the funnelweb spider.

[firewalk]

Upon hearing something like this, we of the colored persuasion often respond, 'white people,' cause it usually takes a white person to do something so stupid.

& nastiness comes in all colors...

[TASMANIANRED]

But what is it by name?

[Levante]

“Upon hearing something like this, we of the colored persuasion often respond, ‘white people,’ cause it usually takes a white person to do something so stupid. “

Whereas those of the colored persuasion are usually involved in more intellectual pursuits, such as screwing everything with a hole, creating bastard children left and right, (c)rap music, drugs, violence, laziness, and getting their asses killed or thrown in prison.

Hey, you started the idiotic racial stereotype.

[DannyTN]

I don’t know. Somewhere there is probably some barefooted medical guinea pigs willing to test that for a small payment and or the promise of possible hallucenogenic effects.

[Grizzled Bear]

Mind you, Caterpillar bites can be nasti...

A Caterpillar once bit my sister...

[radiohead]

Looks like we know who the real racist is here, and it isn’t me.

[Slings and Arrows]

Your last name is “Corrie”?

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Caterpillar envenomation occurs after contact with the bristles of spiny caterpillars, which induces symptoms ranging from mild cutaneous reactions to severe systemic reactions. Twelve families of caterpillars worldwide have been identified as potentially hazardous to humans. However, caterpillar-induced bleeding syndrome is a unique reaction specific to caterpillars of the Lonomia genus (the photo is of a Lonomia obliqua), a type of moth native to South America. In a 5-year period, there were 688 cases of caterpillar envenomation reported in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.

[libstripper]

Confirming your thoughts, the gal who got bitten by a Fer De Lance in Costa Rica was white, too.