Nairobi Flies Infect Sikkim Students: All You Need To Know About Skin-Burning Insects

Nairobi flies do not bite or sting, however, if disturbed while sitting on anyone's skin, they release a potent acidic substance that causes burns.

More than a hundred students of an engineering college in Sikkim recently suffered severe skin infections after coming in contact with ‘Nairobi flies'. Officials on Tuesday informed that a student who was infected by the insect had to undergo surgery on his hand, while other infected students were given medication and are now recovering. 

As per PTI, the Health Department officials said that Nairobi flies, native to East Africa, are growing rapidly at the campus of the Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) in Majhitar. 

Nairobi flies are also known as Kenyan flies. They are small, beetle-like insects, and have very long bodies. They are orange and black in colour and are mostly found in areas with high rainfall. They are attracted by light and moist areas. 

These flies usually destroy crops and eat pests. According to the Health Department, these flies do not bite or sting. However, if disturbed while sitting on anyone's skin, they release a potent acidic substance that causes burns.