A tiny, furry creature hospitalized a Florida teen. His mom is warning others about it
A rash spread from a 15-year-old Land O' Lakes boy's wrist to his chest, putting him in the hospital, all because of a furry caterpillar, his mother said in a now viral Facebook post.
Logan Pergola was doing volunteer yard work outside on Saturday when he felt something sting him while clearing trees and brush, the teen and his mother told WFLA News Channel 8 after posting about the incident on Facebook.
"It just hurt like a small scratch," Logan told Spectrum Bay News 9. "Then all of the sudden, my arm went numb and I felt a burning pain."
When he looked down, he spotted a small, furry caterpillar. About 20 minutes later, he said he had a hard time standing up. His mother, Andrea Pergola, rushed him to the emergency room.
Logan's arm had brushed what is commonly called a puss caterpillar, which is venomous, according to Bay News 9.
The puss caterpillar, also called the southern flannel moth, is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the U.S., the University of Florida's website on the caterpillar states. They are common in Florida but can also be found as far north as New Jersey and out west in Arkansas and Texas.
His mother posted about the experience on Facebook Saturday. As of Wednesday morning, her post had 63,000 reactions and was shared more than 392,000 times.
In her post, Angela Pergola said before the medications, the rash and pain that started on Logan's wrist, spread up his arm to his chest.
Doctors recognized his condition and gave Logan an IV and medications, according to Bay News 9. Hours later, Logan recovered, but he said there is still a mark on his arm.
"I would tell anyone out there to wear gloves," Logan told WFLA. "I wasn't wearing any."
In her post, Angela Pergola urged parents to research the caterpillar and take their children to the hospital if they ever encounter one themselves.
This story was originally published June 20, 2018 at 8:43 AM with the headline "A tiny, furry creature hospitalized a Florida teen. His mom is warning others about it."