an incredibly painful monocular keratitis usually involving 90% of the epithelium (often punctate corneal ulcers becoming large geographic ulcers) affecting those in
NE Victoria and SW NSW in summer as a result of exposure to the chemical pederin which is produced the crushing of certain types of small beetle (up to 1cm) in the eye when they crawl in there and are rubbed or blinked, or the toxin is rubbed into the eyes from your hands - usually of the genus Paederus (Staphylinidae) or genus Orthoperus (Corylophidae) - adult beetles emerge from the ground late Nov-Dec in NE Victoria. They can also cause severe dermatitis starting 12-36hrs after skin contact (prevent by washing
ASAP with soap and water after suspected contact) and the so-called 'whiplash' stripe across the skin which may last up to 3 weeks. Pederin is a strong inhibitor of protein biosynthesis and it is a blistering agent. Generally occurs only between late October and early March. Most resolve with supportive care as per keratitis but some can scar.