Editing Caterpillar (section)

== Human health ==
[[File:Sting0310.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Buck moth]] caterpillar sting on a shin twenty-four hours after occurrence in south [[Louisiana]]. The reddish mark covers an area about {{Convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} at its widest point by about {{Convert|70|mm|in|abbr=on}} in length.]]

Caterpillar hair can be a cause of human health problems. Caterpillar hairs sometimes have venoms in them and species from approximately 12 families of moths or butterflies worldwide can inflict serious human injuries ranging from [[urticaria]]l dermatitis and [[atopic]] [[asthma]] to [[osteochondritis]], consumption [[coagulopathy]], [[kidney failure]], and [[brain]] [[hemorrhage|bleeding]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Diaz, HJ|year=2005|title=The evolving global epidemiology, syndromic classification, management, and prevention of caterpillar envenoming|pmid=15772333|journal=Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.|volume=72|pages=347–357|issue=3|doi=10.4269/ajtmh.2005.72.347|doi-access=free}}</ref> Skin rashes are the most common, but there have been fatalities.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Outbreak of lepidopterism at a Boy Scout camp|journal= Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology|volume=56|issue=6|pages=952–955|doi=10.1016/j.jaad.2006.06.002|pmid=17368636|year=2007|last1=Redd|first1=JT|last2=Voorhees|first2=RE|last3=Török|first3=TJ}}</ref> ''[[Lonomia]]'' is a frequent cause of envenomation in Brazil, with 354 cases reported between 1989 and 2005. Lethality ranging up to 20% with death caused most often by intracranial hemorrhage.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1590/S0004-282X2006000600029|pmid=17221019|date=December 2006|last1=Kowacs|first1=PA|last2=Cardoso|first2=J|last3=Entres|first3=M|last4=Novak|first4=EM|last5=Werneck|first5=LC|title=Fatal intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to Lonomia obliqua caterpillar envenoming: case report|volume=64|issue=4|pages=1030–2|journal=Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Caterpillar hair has also been known to cause [[keratin|kerato]]-[[conjunctivitis]]. The sharp barbs on the end of caterpillar hairs can get lodged in soft tissues and [[mucous membrane]]s such as the eyes. Once they enter such tissues, they can be difficult to extract, often exacerbating the problem as they migrate across the membrane.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Patel RJ, Shanbhag RM|title=Ophthalmia nodosa – (a case report)|url=http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=1973;volume=21;issue=4;spage=208;epage=208;aulast=Patel|journal=Indian J Ophthalmol|year=1973|volume=21|page=208|issue=4|access-date=2010-06-26|archive-date=2013-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605013234/http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=1973;volume=21;issue=4;spage=208;epage=208;aulast=Patel|url-status=live}}</ref>

This becomes a particular problem in an indoor setting. The hair easily enter buildings through ventilation systems and accumulate in indoor environments because of their small size, which makes it difficult for them to be vented out. This accumulation increases the risk of human contact in indoor environments.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=11837874|year=2001|title=Outbreak of caterpillar dermatitis caused by airborne hairs of the mistletoe browntail moth (Euproctis edwardsi)|volume=175|issue=11–12|pages=641–3|journal=The Medical Journal of Australia|url=http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/175_12_171201/balit/balit.html|issn=0025-729X|last1=Balit|first1=C. R.|last2=Ptolemy|first2=H. C.|last3=Geary|first3=M. J.|last4=Russell|first4=R. C.|last5=Isbister|first5=G. K.|doi=10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143760.x|s2cid=26910462|access-date=2009-09-06|archive-date=2011-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404211547/https://mja.com.au/public/issues/175_12_171201/balit/balit.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Caterpillars are a food source in some cultures. For example, in South Africa [[mopane worms]] are eaten by the [[bushmen]], and in China [[silkworms]] are considered a delicacy.