Digital
Desk: Following contact with Nairobi flies, approximately 100 students at an
engineering college in East Sikkim developed serious skin diseases, according
to officials on Tuesday.
They
reported that Nairobi flies, which are native to East Africa, are expanding
quickly on the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) campus in
Majhitar.
They
claimed that a student who had just become ill with the insects had to have his
hand surgically repaired. According to Health Department experts, despite not
being local, the flies can take over new locations as they search for breeding
grounds and an abundant food supply.
They
claimed that these flies typically devour bugs and ruin crops.
Although
these flies do not bite, they have been reported to generate a powerful acidic
chemical that can burn flesh when disturbed while resting on someone's body.
It
is best to gently blow the flies off without disturbing or touching them. It is
best to use soap and water to wash the area where these flies are present.
According to the college
administration, the affected students are receiving treatment and recuperating.
Students are being informed of the dos
and don'ts for handling the situation as insecticides are being sprayed on the
campus, it said.
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