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Paediatric osteomyelitis after exposure to toxic Ochrogaster lunifer moth

John J van Bockxmeer and Jennifer Green
Med J Aust 2013; 199 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja13.10077
Published online: 2 September 2013

To the Editor: We wish to alert our colleagues to an unusual case of culture-negative paediatric osteomyelitis after exposure to a toxic Australian moth. A previously well 5-year-old boy presented to a remote hospital emergency department with inflammation and urticarial rash of the left third finger and left fifth toe after playing with a “dead” moth. His mother had removed numerous small filaments at the time, and he had no other significant history, exposure to toxins, or trauma.


  • 1 Emergency Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA.
  • 2 Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth, WA.



Acknowledgements: 

We acknowledge the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and the Western Australian Museum for assistance with identifying the moth.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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