Abstract

Background: Ocular injury caused by insect bites or by contact with insects’ excreta is rare. The electrical ant-Wasmannia auropunctata has recently spread to many corners of the globe.
Design: A descriptive case report.
Results: A 66-year old woman experienced severe, acute ocular pain and conjunctival irritation within minutes following contact with electrical ant. Irrigation of the eye and systemic analgesics alleviated her symptoms after one hour.
Conclusions: With the abundance of electrical ants we are bound to see more cases of ocular injury. These injuries, though painful are short-lived, so reassurance, irrigation and analgesics are adequate.