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Child's life-threatening mozzie bite complication - and the simple trick to track infection

By Merryn Porter |

We all know a mosquito bite can be an itchy and sometimes painful experience for children.

But a paramedic and parenting educator is again warning parents to be on the lookout for a particularly nasty complication that recently landed a child in hospital, and is raising awareness of a simple trick involving a black marker.

Nikki Jurcutz and her sister run Tiny Hearts Education to teach parents and caregivers about childhood hazards and first-aid. She often posts warnings on the foundation's Facebook and Instagram pages that have been passed along by other parents.

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The parents of this little girl noticed a red line stretching from a mozzie bite on her wrist, all the way to her elbow. (Facebook/Tiny Hearts Education)

This week she shared a story from a parent about a little girl named Alexis, who was on a three-month family road trip around Australia before she starts school next year.

The family, from Melbourne, were in Sydney when they noticed the four-year-old had been scratching a mozzie bite on her wrist.

"There was a bit of a red line but I just thought it was from where she'd been scratching and didn't think much more if it," her mother Kelly Willis said.

"She's sensitive to mozzie bites normally; they swell and blister before scabbing up and healing so it's not unusual for her to react.

"It wasn't until the next morning when she woke and was complaining about the itching, I noticed that in-fact the redness wasn't from scratching but it was an infection from the bite that had now travelled from her wrist to the inside of her elbow.

"We went straight to the GP who referred us to Sydney Children's Hospital.

A nurse used a marker to draw a line to track the infection. (Facebook/Tiny Hearts Education)

"Alexis is also type 1 diabetic so the risk of infection is increased, which is potentially why it turned nasty.

"The nurse outlined the tracking with a marker on her skin to monitor any changes.

"We spent a night in hospital where she was given IV antibiotics. Thankfully, she responded well and the tracking receded enough for her to be discharged the following day with a week's worth of antibiotics to take home."

It was the second time in the past month the foundation has warned of the dangers of complications from mozzie bites.

"See this red tracking line? This indicates that an infection is spreading and making its way to the lymphatic system. If it's treated quickly, it will go away with the help of antibiotics. If left untreated, complications can occur, and the condition can become very serious," she wrote in an Instagram post last month.

Red lines or streaks on the body are a sign of infectious lymphangitis, which is an inflammation of the lymphatic system. It occurs when viruses or bacteria invade the vessels of the lymphatic system, typically through an infected cut or wound.

The red streaks often trace the surface of the skin from the infected area to the nearest lymph gland. They may extend from a wound or cut and can be faint or very visible and tender to the touch.

Lymphangitis can spread quickly and, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications including skin infections, bacteria in the blood and sepsis กช a life-threatening condition.

Lymphangitis must be treated immediately to stop it from spreading. Antibiotics are usually prescribed if the cause is bacterial and are often given intravenously along with pain and anti-inflammatory medication.

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