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notdillusional notdillusional
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12 years ago
Can anyone help with the resulting human skin and organ effects of the Paederus carpet beetle and the causative species Dermestes - and associated allergic reactions to the human organs and tissue.

Any confirmed diagnostic evidence and treatment would be very helpful, thanks.
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wrote...
12 years ago
Can anyone help with the resulting human skin and organ effects of the Paederus carpet beetle and the causative species Dermestes - and associated allergic reactions to the human organs and tissue.

Any confirmed diagnostic evidence and treatment would be very helpful, thanks.

The only organ that is affected is the skin, but then again, that's due to your allergic reaction. I've never encountered a case where one's organ is damaged as a result of exposure to this particular allergen.
wrote...
12 years ago
Many thanks - I will be offline for a few days but will check for new posts and hopefully glean a bit more info on the subject from forum users.

 Waving Hand Sign
wrote...
12 years ago
You mentioned type III hypersensitivity reaction, but that's more like rheumatoid arthritis, when your body starts reacting against another protein your body makes, so I don't think you have type III. Rather you likely have type I reaction.
Biology!
wrote...
12 years ago
Anyone have any similar experiences with skin ailments relating to the CB dermatitis.  How did you get better?Neutral Face
wrote...
12 years ago
I have been suffering from carpet beetle dermatitis for the past several months. Our home was discovered to be infested with both black and varied carpet beetles and larder beetles as well. We have hardwood floors in all but 3 rooms (one being a studio apartment on the ground floor of our townhouse which we rented out until the infestation was discovered back in July). We removed the carpeting in our 2 bedrooms and had a wood laminate installed. We have 2 cats however kept a clean house, with the exception of our last tenant who to our horror we discovered had not cleaned or vacuumed the apartment in the year she'd lived there(!) Plus she had 2 cats. At any rate, while going through clothing/stored items I began to feel as if I had paper cuts all over my entire body. My hands and feet especially (I used to wear sandals without socks) would turn bright red and I developed lesions on my back, legs, arms and face. It became clear that whenever I was in contact with an item that had a high concentration of larva/beetle material on it I would instantly react and my husband, an MD, did a bit of research and came upon carpet beetle dermatitis, which appears to be caused by the microscopic larval hairs. They get embedded into clothing and distributed throughout the house.  We were able to get the apartment emptied out I and the cats moved into a hotel while my husband worked at packing up all of our belongings so a company could come and professionally detail clean our entire townhouse from top to bottom, as well as have the air ducts and dryer vent cleaned. During the 5 weeks I was in the hotel my skin cleared up. We had a pest control company come and treat our house as well, however none of the companies in our locale (Minneapolis, MN) were familiar with carpet beetles or how to properly treat them (something which continues to confuse and frustrate me). At any rate, it's now mid-November, 3 months after this horror began, and I'm finding live larva and adult beetles again. My skin rash has returned despite keeping all of our clothing, linens, etc in air-tight containers and basically living in the bedroom with a HEPA filter air cleaner running 24/7. I'm at my wit's end and seriously would sell and move were the housing market not so horrible. Anyway sorry for the long-winded post. The only thing that I've done to any benefit is launder all clothing and towels, etc with a biological surfactant that breaks down the protein in the larva hairs, thus neutralizing them. I'm experimenting with several sprays meant for dust mites to see if spraying all surfaces with the stuff works to rid the place of the hairs. If you have any information that could be of help to me I would greatly appreciate it!
wrote...
12 years ago
Wow. I should have been on this site over the paste months.  I am just walking out the door.  and got an email that I had a comment.
I want to add to this.  I've had both a rash and 1 blister shaped just like the larvae.  they say they are carrot shape thicker at the top and then thinner at the bottom.  they also tend to curve in the their moves.  When I first moved I itched all the time and thought it was the soap as i explained in my other post. 

I can literally tell when a hair or a larvae is going down my nose , back of throat and starting a sinsus infection.  This happened 2 times before I knew they were here and since then. 
I woke this morning with my eye feeling scratched.  i am not sure what sensitivity type it is but my hands have stated to break out when cleaning up if there are shedding s or debris. If I walk barefoot as the socks static attract them my feet feel like I am getting what  would say is between an itch and sting. 

I have read that you should not let your pets esp. reptiles eat the wooly bears as they are nicknamed. 

I also have come to think they must have some kind of caustic substance. 
I have had stomach bouts of pain but not sure if that is related at all.   My closet thought is that possibly they may be the cause of what is called Morgellons.  People get sores , feel bugs crawling on the them , in their nose etc. 
I have seen many red, blue and clear fibers  , not my hair that are fuzzed up in the same shape all the time and have a gelatin substance in side the fuzz.  No idea but its here. 

I also have gotten up with very swollen under eyes.  Had a row of three red dots one day.   then last week same thing. 

it is part of the way the crawl   they do leave a substance that is  a powder crystal like substance.   it is a similar shape to them and then a trail of dots or small square deposits.   

quite remarkable.  the pharmacy technician thinks I should be seen by a specialist.   what does your doctor say?

I do know they are affecting my rat's well being because they scratch so much it is not good.  I have gotten it under control by wiping them down every three days.  As I also said on the other post  I do not leave food in the cages.  it has been a habit of mine to prevent ants at the last rental which was infested with ants in the walls and under the carpet framing termite eggs.    seems I should have  been an entomologist !!!

the problem is the larvae are supposed to be outside.  I actually do not know how they live or function outdoors.  I know the beetle eats pollen.   any body study their role in nature??   they are cleaner of the dead carcass and need keratin i think.
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