Common bites from mosquitoes, ants, bedbugs, and non-venomous insects. Usually cause local swelling, redness, and itching. Rarely dangerous unless allergic or infected.
For a bee or wasp sting: remove the stinger immediately by scraping sideways with a credit card or fingernail. Do not squeeze with tweezers — this injects more venom.
Wash the bite or sting area thoroughly with soap and water.
Apply a cold compress — ice wrapped in cloth — for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce swelling and pain.
Apply calamine lotion or 1% hydrocortisone cream to reduce itching and inflammation.
Take an oral antihistamine — loratadine or chlorphenamine — to reduce itching, swelling, and allergic response.
Keep the bite area clean and avoid scratching — broken skin from scratching allows bacteria to enter and cause infection.
For mosquito bites: the primary concern in Africa is malaria transmission. Monitor for fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms in the 7 to 30 days following a mosquito bite.
Trim fingernails short if bites are being scratched during sleep.
Use mosquito repellent containing DEET when outdoors. Sleep under a treated mosquito net.
Throat tightening, difficulty swallowing, or breathing after a sting — anaphylaxis, emergency.
Widespread hives appearing over the whole body after a sting.
Multiple stings from bees or wasps — possible venom toxicity.
Fever developing 7 to 30 days after a mosquito bite — test for malaria.
Bite site showing spreading redness, warmth, and pus — infected bite.
Any bite or sting causing throat swelling, difficulty breathing, or rapid spread of swelling beyond the bite site is anaphylaxis — treat as a medical emergency.
Multiple bee or wasp stings — more than 10 in an adult or more than 3 in a child — can cause systemic toxicity even without allergy. Get medical assessment.
Bites that become red, warm, and increasingly painful over days suggest infection — see wound infection guidance.
Any mosquito bite in a malaria-endemic area is a potential malaria exposure.
✓ What Helps
· Loratadine 10mg daily or chlorphenamine 4mg for itching and allergic response
· Calamine lotion applied to bite for soothing
· Hydrocortisone 1% cream for localised inflammation
· DEET-containing repellent for prevention
✗ What To Avoid
· Squeezing a bee stinger with tweezers
· Scratching bites until broken — causes infection
→ Ask The Pharmacist For
· Oral antihistamine for allergic response to bites
· EpiPen prescription if you have had a severe allergic reaction to stings previously
· Permethrin-treated mosquito nets for prevention
🏥 Get Professional Help
Go to hospital immediately for any signs of anaphylaxis after a sting. See a doctor for multiple stings, bites showing signs of infection, or fever developing after mosquito exposure in a malaria area.