An outbreak of Paederus dermatitis in Thai military personnel in 2007 was reported. Approximately ninety-one
percent of military personnel who worked in a battalion located in Bangkok experienced Paederus dermatitis in April-May 2007. The most common clinical manifestations were blisters and erythematous rash. The most affected areas were head, neck, back and groin. “Kissing lesions” were seen in 17.3% of cases and 23.5% had multiple lesions. Compared with other reports, we found a high incidence of lesions in unexposed body parts. This disease should be recognized as a differential diagnosis especially in tropical countries. Awareness of the condition and its clinical features will aid early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Keywords: Paederus, Paederus dermatitis, Blistering dermatitis, Contact dermatitis, Military personnel, Thailand