“It’s not just a mosquito”: the bite that can put you in a coma this summer

One of the unpleasant sides of balmy Spanish summer nights is appearance of blood-sucking critters that come out to feed while you’re fast asleep. If you don’t take precautions, these bugs will leave you red, raw and itchy after feasting on you in the hours of darkness.

Bedbugs have seen a resurgence in recent years for various reasons (banning pesticides such as DDT, mass tourism... etc) and mosquitos have been a perennial problem - especially in areas that are close to still water, their ideal breeding ground.

Mosquito squadron: species found in Spain

There are 61 species of mosquitos common to Spain - among them, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). The female Asian tiger mosquito is far more likely to go after humans compared to the common mosquito (Culex pipiens), and is also the one which transmits diseases such as Malaria, Yellow fever, Zika virus and Dengue.

One unlucky tourist is fighting for her life after an encounter with a swarm of blood-sucking bugs left her in a coma.

Emma Hickey had two days left of her vacation in Tenerife with her partner, Stephen Brougham and two children, Sophie, 13, and Bobby, 7 when a chain of events left her in hospital.

Emma woke up covered from head to toe in “mosquito bites”. Her partner Stephen told The Daily Mail, “They were draining the life out of her and they’re all over her body, dozens and dozens. They looked uncomfortable and you could see that they were sore. They turned into bruises”.

The couple sought help at a local medical center where Emma was given a pain-killing injection to alleviate the discomfort. But combination of factors - multiple sores from bites, her body’s reaction to the medication and possibly a little heat stroke, left her feeling groggy and light-headed.

Bug-bitten tourist ends up hospitalized with head injury

“She was feeling a bit dizzy and she collapsed and fell from the second last step of the upper staircase down below onto the other set of stairs head-first without raising her arm to protect herself,” Stephen explained. “She passed out on the steps and started convulsing, she was in a terrible state. It’s been horrific because I actually witnessed the fall and how bad it was. Words can’t describe how bad it is.”

Emma was rushed to hospital and underwent a CT scan which detected a brain bleed and neck fractures. Medical staff decided to put her in a medically-induced coma.

She will remain in intensive care until she wakes from the coma which could be a week or longer. A Go Fund Me has been set up to help the family deal with medical and hotel expenses.

Could Emma have been bitten by something else and not one or more mosquitoes? It’s possible. The bite marks, small red sores, look closer to the damage bedbugs do to the skin after a midnight feast. Sandflies are another possibility. Black flies (buffalo gnat,turkey gnat) are common in Spain too, but usually feed during the day, targeting lower limbs and will generally just bite once not multiple times, leaving a large raised welt on the skin.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.