It arrived from the South Seas via the Suez Canal, quickly spreading throughout the Mediterranean Sea thanks to recent heat waves. It is not the blue crab but the vermocane, a carnivorous and insatiable marine worm that is threatening the seas of Sicily, Puglia and Calabria. Fishermen know something about this since these now feared specimens attach themselves to the nets and devour the fish. And that's not all because its spines cause edema, itching and fevers through the release of stinging toxins. What to do in case of a worm bite?
Vermocane: what it is and where it is found
The worm dog can cause damage to both humans and marine fauna. The National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS) raised the alarm, underlining that it is an invasive species, threatening to the animals that live in marine natural reserves, including corals, but also to fishermen and swimmers. .
Vermocane, in the seas of Southern Italy it is an invasion: if you break them in two they regenerate
Also known as fire or sea worms, they can grow up to one meter long. They look like centipedes, they are very colourful, but they have thousands of stinging spines in their bristles. They spread rapidly in our seas because they have no enemies and if you break them in two they regenerate. They are usually found on especially rocky seabeds, among corals and on rocks.
What to do in case of a worm bite
In view of the summer season, fears for the invasion of this alien species are multiplying, also because these specimens known by the scientific name of Hermodice carunculata also represent a serious threat to bathers.
A worm bite can cause edema, itching and fever, but also nausea, dizziness and other symptoms that last for several hours. It can be very annoying if it occurs in a place where the skin is less thick, such as in the crease of the elbow and knee. However, if you are stung on your wrists or hands, the toxin can also cause slight numbness in your fingers. Milder symptoms if the bite occurs where the skin is thicker. In this case you only feel a slight itch, like when you touch nettle for example.
The advice in case of a worm bite is to remove the sting from the skin, then use a specific ointment or apply alcohol. In more serious cases, the use of cortisone will be necessary.