Paederus dermatitis’ Case Incidence and Paederus Beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Abundance in Nekemte, Western Ethiopia

This study aims to assess Paederus Dermatitis (PD) case incidence and Paederus Beetle (PB) prevalence in Nekemte, western Ethiopia. To assess PD case incidence and patients’ belief of the disease, the passive case detection method was used. That is, patients who presented to Wollega University (WU) campus clinic and Nekemte town (NT) communal house health center (Cheleleki Health Center) during six months from June to November 2022 were assessed using self-reported patient history and clinical features diagnosis. Concurrently, PD vector infestation-prone public residential areas, particularly the WU compass dormitory and NT common residential areas (condominiums), were surveyed for PB by hand and sticky trap collection methods. A total of 131 patients presented to the campus clinic and communal house health center. The PD patients were presented to the health facilities every month from June to November, with the peak incidence in September that coincided with the trend and peak months of PB abundances. The peak PD incidence and PB abundance were simultaneously observed during the rainy months, particularly in September after heavy rains. It should be considered by public health workers in selecting PD and PB control time via public health education and other optional intervention measures.