INSECT STINGS - THE HYMENOPTERA

The most important stinging insects are grouped in the order Hymenoptera. This order includes honey bees, bumble bees, hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps and ants.

In the case of an insect sting which results in a normal reaction, the first sign is a sharp pin-prick sensation followed by moderate pain at the site of the sting. A red dot, surrounded by a pale zone, then appears; shortly thereafter a red wheal is seen. The area may itch and sting for a few hours, but this soon subsides.

Multiple stings may result in the injection of enough venom to make the victim physically ill. The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, faintness and loss of consciousness, swelling, headache, fever, muscle spasms, and sometimes convulsions. Death can occur, usually after several hundred stings.

Approximately 17 to 20 percent of the population is allergic to Hymenoptera venom, and their reactions to stings vary from mild to rapid and severe. About 1 million people develop extreme, systemic reactions to insect stings each year, resulting in forty fatalities.

Exaggerated local reactions consist of unusually severe, pro­longed swelling, which may begin after a variable period of time and may last for several days.

Delayed reactions occur ten to fourteen days after the sting. This reaction closely resembles the illness sometimes seen as a result of the administration of horse serum. These individuals suffer from fever, headache, joint pains, and hives.

Generalized reactions may range from slight, with hives, itching and malaise, to the rapid onset of shock. Severe reactions are often referred to as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. In fatal cases, death usually occurs within one hour and sometimes in a few short minutes.