Skin Burns - Cause Unknown

[manarak]

Something really weird happened to my friend (Thai) and me.

We got something looking like burns appearing on our skin, the form of those burns was similar to what a slow-running (high viscosity) liquid would leave behind, i.e. oval at one end with a long fine tail, similar to a single brush stroke.

I got a small 1 cm burn on my left forearm, she got a big burn (about 4 cm x 1 cm) on her neck and many small burns on her face - we think maybe she transported the substance or whatever caused the burns to her face with the fingers.

We didn't do anything special, sat on Jomtien beach one evening, walked in the water.

Has anyone experienced something similar or knows what could have caused this?

[Sheryl]

I have had reactions like this to things in the water (even wothout being aware of them at the time) and also to brishing against certain tyes of weed.

But yoru description of location of these lesions and your activities doesn't seem to fit with that i.e. you didn't actually go swimming or walk through dense briush and the lesions are on the face??

[manarak]

Yes, we could not link the burns to any activity as well, that's why we are puzzled, especially about the big burn in her neck.

BTW, what are those small, roundish, flat, black shellfish that are very common in shallow water at the beach? We crushed a couple - wondering if they could be known to cause this.

[ajahnlau]

Yes, we could not link the burns to any activity as well, that's why we are puzzled, especially about the big burn in her neck.

BTW, what are those small, roundish, flat, black shellfish that are very common in shallow water at the beach? We crushed a couple - wondering if they could be known to cause this.

I'd guess jellyfish.

[manarak]

Yes, we could not link the burns to any activity as well, that's why we are puzzled, especially about the big burn in her neck.

BTW, what are those small, roundish, flat, black shellfish that are very common in shallow water at the beach? We crushed a couple - wondering if they could be known to cause this.

I'd guess jellyfish.

that's what we thought too... but we had only our feet in the water, and the burns were in the neck and her face

[Sheryl]

Sorry, I'm baffled. What yo udescribe would normally result from contact with something that provoked a local infammatory response.

[manarak]

I made a pic approx 2 days after it appeared

I include the full neck width to give an idea of size.

note the necrosis in the middle of the burn

Edited December 4, 2012 by manarak

[threelegcowboy]

My friend had same problem on Pattaya Beach a month ago. I will ask for more info.

[manarak]

My friend had same problem on Pattaya Beach a month ago. I will ask for more info.

intriguing!

[Potosi]

Could be spicy food. Some peppers and chillies like Jalapeno are known to burn skin, but I don't know if the varieties in Thailand do this. If there were fireworks in the area, it could be sparks or phosphorous. Not likely, you would have felt it at once.

[mancub]

Had something similar occur several times ...finally attributed it to those very small ants ....formic acid . Each time had no recollection of having been stung ,but developed an itchy ,rash -like sore ,with the tail-like shapes you mention , guessing it's how the acid spreads ..

[Sheryl]

Yes, having seen the picture I think it is most likely a reaction to some type of insect biote which may have occurred without your knowing it.

[transam]

Take an antihistamine pill and see what happens.

[threelegcowboy]

And yet another friend has some bad burns on his legs. This was caused by a message with an ointment, maybe a tiger baum type. So maybe these problems are caused by hands that have had this ointment on them and then touched tender skin. Maybe you have just touched contaminated objects with this ointment then touched yourself.

Edited December 5, 2012 by threelegcowboy

[katana]

http://news.mthai.com/general-news/164847.html

[manarak]

... then touched yourself.

err.. I will try to avoid that, especially with that ointment!