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Front Allergy 2021 20;2:727776. Epub 2021 Aug 20.

Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.

Insect stings and the resulting itch are a ubiquitous problem. Stings by members of the insect order Hymenoptera, which includes sawflies, wasps, bees and ants, and especially by bees and wasps are extremely common, with 56-94% of the population being stung at least once in their lifetime. The complex process of venom activity and inflammation causes local reactions with pain and pruritus, sometimes anaphylactic reactions and more seldomly, as in case of numerous stings, systemic intoxication. Read More

Wilderness Environ Med 2022 Mar 15. Epub 2022 Mar 15.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Lankenau Medical Center, Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA. Electronic address:

Hymenoptera stings of the upper airway are rare events, but can result in rapid, life-threatening airway emergencies. The allergenic and toxic mediators that are released from the stings of bees, wasps, and hornets can cause local tissue inflammation and edema with subsequent upper airway obstruction. We report the case of a 15-y-old girl who suffered a bee sting to the uvula while zip-lining in Costa Rica. Read More

Asian Pac J Allergy Immunol 2022 Mar 12. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Department of Chest Diseases, Division of Immunology and Allergy, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: Hymenoptera stings can cause systemic allergic reactions (SARs) that are prevented by venom immunotherapy (VIT). Sting challenge tests or field stings are used to evaluate the outcome of VIT.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the consequences of field stings in patients during or after completion of VIT, and to identify patients at higher risk. Read More

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 2022 1;50(2):58-64. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Allergy Department, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain. ARADyAL Spanish Thematic Network and Co-operative Research Centre RD16/0006/0018, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid; Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica, Córdoba.

Objective: The objective of this study was to list the social vespids occurring in Spain, determine their presence in each region, and correlate the data with the vespids responsible for allergic reactions and their progression over time.

Methods: Insects distribution data were collected in two phases: from the southern half of Spain (2008-2012), and from the northern half of Spain (2016-2019). Data for the vespids were collected from the prescriptions of Hymenoptera venom immunotherapy (HVIT) at six Spanish hospitals in the years 2009 and 2019. Read More

Biology (Basel) 2022 Feb 11;11(2). Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Animal Health Research: Galicia (INVESAGA), Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain.

Epidemiology of Hymenopteran-related deaths in Europe, based on official registers from WHO Mortality Database (Cause Code of Death: X23), are presented. Over a 23-year period (1994-2016), a total of 1691 fatalities were recorded, mostly occurring in Western (42.8%) and Eastern (31. Read More

Clin Kidney J 2022 Feb 7;15(2):320-327. Epub 2021 Oct 7.

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Suining Central Hospital, An Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, An Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Suining, Sichuan Province, China.

Background: In recent years, the incidence of wasp sting has increased annually in China. Organ damage and high mortality due to mass wasp envenomation remain major challenges. Timely and appropriate medical intervention can improve survival. Read More

Toxicon 2022 Apr 5;209:43-49. Epub 2022 Feb 5.

Division of Nephrology, Guangxi People's Hospital, Guangyuan, China.

Objective: To establish and validate a model to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) following wasp stings.

Methods: In this multicentre prospective study, 508 patients with wasp stings from July 2015 to December 2019 were randomly divided into a training set (n = 381) and a validation set (n = 127) for internal and external validation. Risk factors were identified, and a model was established to predict the probability of AKI following multiple wasp stings using an individual nomogram and a predictive formula. Read More

Clin Nephrol Case Stud 2022 24;10:16-20. Epub 2022 Jan 24.

Renalus Center for Kidney Care, Pensacola, FL, USA.

Acute renal failure is a well-known but uncommon complication of wasp stings. In rare instances, nephrotic syndrome (NS) has also been reported in association with wasp envenomation. The occurrence of minimal change disease (MCD) as a consequence of wasp stings is even less common, with only 1 case reported to date. Read More

J Cell Biol 2022 02 21;221(2). Epub 2022 Jan 21.

Department of Cell Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.

WASP is a remodeler of the actin cytoskeleton, but its mechanistic contribution to neutrophil migration is unclear. In this issue, Brunetti et al. (2021. Read More

Molecules 2021 Dec 27;27(1). Epub 2021 Dec 27.

Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Alfonso X el Sabio, 27002 Lugo, Spain.

The yellow-legged Asian hornet ( Lepeletier 1836 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)) is naturally distributed in China, Southeast Asia, and India; however, recently it has been detected outside of its native area, confirmed as being established in South Korea, Europe, and Japan. Health risks and deaths caused by the invasive stings have become a public health concern, being the most common cause of anaphylaxis due to hymenopterans in some European regions. This in turn has led to increased demand from medical practitioners and researchers for venom for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Read More

Toxicon 2022 Feb 5;207:48-51. Epub 2022 Jan 5.

Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran; Scientific Unlimited Horizon, Tucson, AZ, USA. Electronic address:

Latifi's viper (Montivipera latifii), also known as Lar Valley or Damavandi viper, is endemic to Iran. It has rarely been recorded, as it occurs in a highly-protected national park. In this first clinical report of a confirmed bite by this species, a teenage girl was bitten on the chin, causing rapidly-progressive swelling of the face and oropharyngeal mucosa. Read More

Acta Med Port 2021 Nov 2;34(11):784-795. Epub 2021 Nov 2.

Serviço de Doenças Infeciosas. Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto. Porto. Portugal.

There are many native species of animals with the potential to cause severe disease in Portugal. Of the four clinically relevant snake species, the vipers (Vipera latastei and Vipera seoanei) are the most concerning. They can cause severe disease and require in-hospital management, monitoring and specific treatment, including the administration of anti-snake venom serum. Read More

J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2021 Aug 1;14(8):E69-E75. Epub 2021 Aug 1.

Ms. Murray is with Clinical Academic Kings College in London, England.

Vascular occlusions can occur with injection of dermal fillers, causing devastating outcomes for the patient. Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that was first used in general medicine in 1949, but has gained widespread use in aesthetic medicine to dissolve hyaluronic acid (HA)-based dermal fillers. Knowledge of this drug and its use for other aesthetic indications is evolving, and there is often anxiety attached to the administration of animal-derived product due to fears of an allergic reaction. Read More

Toxins (Basel) 2021 10 21;13(11). Epub 2021 Oct 21.

Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Science & Industry Research Organisation, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2601, Australia.

Parasitoid wasps represent the plurality of venomous animals, but have received extremely little research in proportion to this taxonomic diversity. The lion's share of investigation into insect venoms has focused on eusocial hymenopterans, but even this small sampling shows great promise for the development of new active substances. The family Pompilidae is known as the spider wasps because of their reproductive habits which include hunting for spiders, delivering a paralyzing sting, and entombing them in burrows with one of the wasp's eggs to serve as food for the developing larva. Read More

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2022 03 20;128(3):331-333. Epub 2021 Nov 20.

Department of Dermatology and Allergy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

J Assoc Physicians India 2021 Nov;69(11):11-12

Associate Professor, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore, West Bengal.

Toxicon 2022 Jan 10;205:1-10. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Department of Oncology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441000, Hubei, China. Electronic address:

The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in wasp-sting-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) remain largely unknown. Here, we combined proteomics and metabolomics to investigate the mechanisms behind multiple wasp sting-induced AKI. Interestingly, we found many differentially abundant proteins in the serum of AKI group compared with that of the non-AKI and control groups, involved in several metabolic pathways and the regulation of cellular processes. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2022 03 10;10(3):879-881.e1. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Aydin Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Aydin, Turkey.

Clin Exp Allergy 2022 02 10;52(2):345-347. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Allergy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Blood Purif 2022 28;51(4):365-375. Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Department of Nephrology, People's Hospital of Jianyang, Jianyang, China.

Background/aim: This study mainly aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of 3 renal replacement therapy (RRT) modalities on acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by wasp stings.

Methods: A retrospective study from September 2016 to December 2019 was conducted. Thirty-one patients with AKIs caused by wasp sting were selected and divided into 3 groups according to the initial RRT modality received, namely, (1) the intermittent hemodialysis combined with hemoperfusion (IHD + HP) group, (2) the continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) group, and (3) the CVVHDF combined with HP (CVVHDF + HP) group. Read More

G Ital Cardiol (Rome) 2021 11;22(11):944-949

U.O. Cardiologia, Ospedale "Guglielmo da Saliceto", Piacenza.

Background: Kounis syndrome is a hypersensitivity coronary disorder induced by exposure to several triggers; the most common are antibiotics, followed by insect bites.

Methods: We reviewed the literature and identified 66 patients who experienced acute coronary syndrome after insect bites.

Results: The median age was 51 years, and 19. Read More

Rev Alerg Mex 2021 Jul-Sep;68(3):214-217

Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Grupo de Alergología Clínica y Experimental, Medellín, Colombia.

Introduction: In December 2019, a new coronavirus was identified as the causal agent of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with a wide clinical spectrum that goes from asymptomatic cases to critical and fatal cases. Its usual manifestations are fever, cough, and fatigue; although some cases present skin lesions.

Cases Report: The first case was a 30-year-old woman with a history of controlled solar urticaria who presented erythematous and pruritic wheals in malar and cervical regions and extremities; associated with general malaise, headaches, and nausea, in whom the presence of COVID-19 was confirmed; her condition improved with a quadruple dose of antihistamines. Read More

J Insect Physiol 2021 Nov-Dec;135:104311. Epub 2021 Sep 27.

The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Batchelar Road, 4474 Palmerston North, New Zealand.

In New Zealand's ancient Fuscospora spp. or beech forests, two invasive Vespula social wasps Vespula vulgaris (L.) and Vespula germanica (F. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2022 03 14;10(3):837-843.e3. Epub 2021 Sep 14.

Department of Allergy and Immunology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

Background: Diagnosis of patients with hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity consists of elucidating clinical symptoms suggestive of systemic reaction (SR) and then confirmation of sensitization via intradermal skin testing (IDST) first and serum IgE assays such as ImmunoCAP (ICAP) as a complementary modality of diagnosis.

Objective: Determine the concordance between ICAP and IDST in patients with a clinical history suggestive of hymenoptera venom SR. Determine whether venom immunotherapy would change on the basis of IDST versus ICAP results. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Med Pract 2021 Sep 2;18(9):1-24. Epub 2021 Sep 2.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.

The majority of bites and stings from terrestrial animals are not dangerous. However, due to their smaller size, children may be more susceptible to the effects of venom, and they may experience more-severe envenomation effects than adults. This issue reviews the basic epidemiology and underlying pathophysiology of the bites and stings of spiders, bees and wasps, fire ants, scorpions, snakes, and lizards. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2022 01 17;60(1):141-142. Epub 2021 Aug 17.

Department of Radiodiagnosis, Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre, Ernakulam, India.

PLoS One 2021 13;16(8):e0256168. Epub 2021 Aug 13.

Department of Infectious Diseases and Allergology, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.

Introduction: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has a direct role as a mediator in the pathogenesis of various disorders with an inflammatory component, including those with allergic aetiology. The peripheral blood concentration of PAF is dynamically regulated by plasma PAF acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH). Previous research suggest that low activity of plasma PAF-AH could be a predictive marker for increased severity of some types of allergic hypersensitivity reactions-especially anaphylaxis. Read More

Clin Exp Allergy 2021 12 10;51(12):1641-1644. Epub 2021 Aug 10.

University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Golnik, Slovenia.

J Econ Entomol 2021 10;114(5):2032-2042

Centre in Molecular and Functional Ecology, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a pest mainly controlled with insecticides, and it can acquire resistance through different mechanisms. Pyrethroids can select the knock down resistance (kdr) mutation in M. persicae and can also produce lethal and sub-lethal effects on its main parasitoid, Aphidius colemani Viereck. Read More

Wilderness Environ Med 2021 Sep 20;32(3):344-350. Epub 2021 Jul 20.

Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, China. Electronic address:

Bees and wasps (order Hymenoptera) are commonly encountered worldwide and often deliver defensive stings when in contact with humans. Massive envenomation resulting from >50 stings causes a toxic reaction and life-threatening complications that typically result in rhabdomyolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Two male patients who were stung over 80 times by wasps experienced severe coagulation abnormality. Read More