Black biting flies unleash a reign of terror in Assam

GUWAHATI: Black biting flies have unleashed a reign of terror in an Assam area prompting the authorities to rush a team of the scientists to the site.

Over the past 15 days or so, dozens of people in Dikhowmukh areas of Sivasagar district in eastern Assam were taken ill after they had been bitten by the flies. The flies are sparing none, not even livestock.

With the bites being reported frequently, the authorities have ordered the closure of schools in the affected areas. A team of the Dibrugarh-based Regional Medical Research Centre visited the affected areas and collected samples for an entomological survey.

The district authorities appealed to people to not panic. 

“Some people have fallen sick after being bitten by the flies. However, there is nothing to be worried about. The patients are responding to medicines,” Sivasagar Additional District Magistrate, Azahar Ali, told The New Indian Express.

The Joint Director of Health, Rupin Borpujari, who visited the sites along with a team of health officials on Tuesday, confirmed these were black flies.

“These are peculiar black flies. Black flies are found in South Africa whose bites cause sleeping sickness. However, these do not look like them. People, who have been bitten, complained of skin reactions, including swelling and itching. That is recoverable. Some people recovered after simple medication. The flies are attacking people as well as livestock,” Borpujari said. 

He also said that as of now, the phenomenon was localised but panic had set in across localities so much so people were spraying phenyl at their houses and keeping them indoors.

“The source of the flies could not be ascertained as yet. We don’t know but their arrival could be due to climate change. We are taking initiatives for Malathion fogging (mosquito repellent fogging). We are also organising awareness camps,” Borpujari added.

The locals said they had never seen such flies in the areas.

“Our village is teeming with the flies. Two days ago, I was bitten by a fly. Moments later, my skin started swelling up and I felt an itching sensation. Some others I know, who too have been bitten, told me that they had seen blood oozing out of their skin,” an affected villager, recovering from the bite, said.