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Cell Mol Life Sci 2021 May 10. Epub 2021 May 10.

Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.

Velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) are a family of solitary parasitoid wasps that are renowned for their painful stings. We explored the chemistry underlying the stings of mutillid wasps of the genus Dasymutilla Ashmead. Detailed analyses of the venom composition of five species revealed that they are composed primarily of peptides. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2021 May 7:1-7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Objective: To describe clinical effects and outcomes of hymenopteran stings and to explore the non-laboratory factors associated with adverse clinical outcomes, a composite outcome including death, respiratory failure requiring intubation, acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis and hypotension requiring vasopressor use.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed at the Ramathibodi Poison Center, a poison centre of a tertiary care hospital in Thailand. All cases of hymenopteran sting consultations from January 2015 to June 2019 were consecutively enrolled, and charts were reviewed. Read More

Zhonghua Lao Dong Wei Sheng Zhi Ye Bing Za Zhi 2021 Apr;39(4):310-312

Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.

From September to November 2019, three patients with Hornet stings were admitted to hospital with acute anaphylaxis and various degrees of organ dysfunction. After hemoperfusion combined with continuous hemodialysis and hormone pulse therapy, 1 patient was successfully treated and 2 patients were not cured. Bee Stings can cause systemic allergic reactions and toxic reactions. Read More

Pract Neurol 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Neurology, Aster Medcity, Kochi, India

A 48-year-old man presented with a headache and disorientation after multiple wasp stings. Following admission, he developed seizures and was intubated. We provisionally diagnosed wasp sting-related allergic encephalitis and treated this with intravenous methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin. Read More

CEN Case Rep 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Nephrology, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, 1-6-7 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) has long been known to be associated with hypertension. While renal artery stenosis (RAS) is considered one of the causes of hypertension with MMD, most hypertension causes remain unexplained. A boy with MMD was diagnosed with renovascular hypertension (RVH) due to left-sided RAS by angiography. Read More

Ren Fail 2021 Dec;43(1):500-509

Zunyi Medical University, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.

Background: Macroscopic hematuria after wasp sting has been reported in Asia to occur before acute kidney injury (AKI), and is often used by clinicians as a sign indicating the need for intensive care and blood purification therapy. However, there is no study on the clinical characteristics and prognosis of this symptom.

Methods: The clinical data of 363 patients with wasp sting admitted to Suining Central Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Read More

J Econ Entomol 2021 Apr;114(2):868-874

Lake County Vector Control District, Esplanade, Lakeport, CA.

Yellowjackets are notable pests of humans due to their opportunistic foraging behaviors, painful stings, and potential for causing dangerous allergic reactions. Baited traps provide a useful supplement for controlling yellowjackets compared with nest treatments, which are often dangerous, time consuming, costly, and do little to prevent nuisance interactions between humans and foragers. This study compares three homemade yellowjacket traps and three commercially available traps in Lake County, California, to determine efficacy and cost benefit. Read More

Zhonghua Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue 2021 Jan;33(1):105-108

Department of Emergency, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, Henan, China.

Objective: To explore the predictive value of MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and poisoning severity score (PSS) in the clinical prognosis of patients with wasp sting.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of patients who were stung by wasps admitted to emergency department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from July 2017 to November 2019 were collected. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Jan;100(4):e24492

Department of Critical Care Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital.

Introduction: Multiple wasp stings is an emergency result from systemic reactions to the toxin with a wide range of manifestations, and we presented 2 patients with distinct clinical and transcriptomic findings.

Patient Concerns: Two patients without systemic disease presented with nearly 90 painful papules after attacked by a swarm of wasps (Vespa basalis).

Diagnosis: Patient 1 was a 44-year-old healthy male whose clinical manifestations mainly comprised hemolysis, hepatic injury, rhabdomyolysis, and acute kidney injury. Read More

Biology (Basel) 2021 Jan 20;10(2). Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Galicia, Edificio EGAP, Rúa Madrid, No. 2-4, 15707 Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain.

Epidemiology of fatalities in Spain due to hornet, wasp, and bee stings (Cause Code of Death: X23) is described. Over a 20-year period (1999-2018), a total of 78 fatalities were recorded, mostly occurring in males (85.9%), of 65 years and older (52. Read More

Int Med Case Rep J 2020 20;13:663-666. Epub 2020 Nov 20.

Department of Ophthalmology, Research Department Clinica La Luz, Lima, Peru.

Wasp stings are considered an ophthalmological emergency as they can be complicated when they occur near the eyelids or especially on the cornea. Due to type I hypersensitivity response, such as epithelial defect, corneal edema, loss of endothelial cells, anterior uveitis, optic neuritis and, therefore, permanent loss of vision due to anterior segment ischemia. It warns that the wasp stinger has a saw-shaped texture, contains toxins that inflame the area where it stings. Read More

J Nepal Health Res Counc 2020 Nov 14;18(3):566-568. Epub 2020 Nov 14.

Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, NAMS, Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Wasp stings are common in our part of the world and may cause complications ranging from mild local reactions to fatal anaphylaxis. Severe cases may present with multisystem involvement causing acute kidney injury, hepatic dysfunction, clotting abnormalities, rhabdomyolysis or even death. However, cases with acute pancreatitis as a complication of wasp sting is not usual and have been very rarely reported. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2020 11 12;164. Epub 2020 Nov 12.

Tergooi, afd. Intensive Care, Hilversum/Blaricum.

Wasp and bee stings can lead to allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, Kounis syndrome, toxicity, organ failure and, in rare cases, cardiac arrest. In the Netherlands, fatal complications as a result of wasp or bee stings are rare; here we describe three recent severe cases. We diagnosed two patients with anaphylactic shock due to multiple wasp stings, resulting in cardiac arrest and death. Read More

JAMA Ophthalmol 2021 01;139(1):105-108

Centre Antipoison et de Toxicovigilance de Paris, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris Nord, Université de Paris, Paris, France.

Importance: Since the accidental introduction of the yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in France in 2004, there have been reports of this insect unexpectedly projecting a liquid toward the human face, but ocular morbidity associated with this is unknown, to our knowledge.

Objective: To describe a case series of ocular lesions after exposure to a liquid projection emitted by a hornet.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was an analysis of all cases of ocular exposure to a projection by a yellow-legged hornet (excluding stings in the eye) collected by French poison control centers between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019. Read More

Brain Behav Evol 2020 30;95(3-4):181-202. Epub 2020 Oct 30.

Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA,

The parasitoid emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) subdues the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) with a sting to the 1st thoracic ganglion, followed by a sting to the roach's brain, causing long-term pacification. The wasp then leads the cockroach to a hole where it lays an egg on the roach middle leg before barricading the entrance and departing. Although many aspects of the wasp's initial attack have been investigated, few studies have detailed the egg-laying process and the subsequent fate of the larvae. Read More

Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2020 Oct 30;33(6):811-817. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland (Department of Allergology, Clinical Immunology and Internal Diseases).

Objectives: Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is an effective treatment method and is addressed to patients with a history of an anaphylactic reaction to Hymenoptera stings. However, the immunological mechanisms of protection have not been explained yet. The objective of this study was to analyze neutrophils, interleukin 8 (IL-8) and interleukin 17 (IL-17) before and after the initial phase of the immunotherapy. Read More

Arerugi 2020 ;69(8):683-688

Department of Medicine, Division of Allergology and Respiratory medicine, School of Medicine, Showa University.

The case involved a man in his forties. While working at the restaurant that the patient runs, the patient experienced a stab-like pain on the left shoulder and developed systemic pruritic eruptions. He was diagnosed with anaphylaxis upon visiting our emergency department. Read More

PLoS One 2020 8;15(9):e0238740. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

Department of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

Sensitization to Hymenoptera venom in patients without a history of systemic allergic reactions to Hymenoptera stings is frequently found and can be due to the presence of specific IgE to cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants (CCD). This study investigates 105 pollen allergic subjects for the presence of specific IgE to honeybee or wasp venom, pollen, the MUXF3 carbohydrate epitope from bromelain and recombinant Hymenoptera venom components. In addition, in a subgroup of patients (n = 10) a basophil activation test (BAT) using bee and wasp venom was performed. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020 08 25;17(17). Epub 2020 Aug 25.

Institute of Cellular and System Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County 350, Taiwan.

Background: Hymenopteran stings are the most common animal insult injury encountered in the emergency department. With increasing global spread of imported fire ants in recent decades, the rate of Formicidae assault has become a serious problem in many countries. Formicidae-associated injuries gradually increased in Taiwan in recent decades and became the second most common arthropod assault injury in our ED. Read More

Toxicon 2020 Oct 6;186:78-82. Epub 2020 Aug 6.

New Mexico Poison Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA. Electronic address:

Envenomations during pregnancy have consequences affecting both maternal and fetal outcomes. U.S. Read More

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2020 07 9;20(10):58. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Experimental Dermatology and Allergy Research Group, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Giessen, Germany.

Purpose Of Review: Stings of Hymenoptera of the superfamily Vespoidea such as yellow jackets, paper wasps or stinging ants are common triggers for severe and even fatal allergic reactions. Antigen 5 allergens are potent allergens in the majority of these venoms with major importance for diagnosis and therapy. Reviewed here are the characteristics of antigen 5 allergens, their role in component-resolved diagnostics as well as current limitations of the available diagnostics for proper therapeutic decisions. Read More

Toxins (Basel) 2020 06 8;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Laboratory of Translational Immunology, Medicine School, FCM, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-888, Brazil.

Insect venom can cause systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Improvements in diagnosis and venom immunotherapy (VIT) are based on a better understanding of an immunological response triggered by venom allergens. Previously, we demonstrated that the recombinant phospholipase A1 (rPoly p 1) from wasp venom induces specific IgE and IgG antibodies in sensitized mice, which recognized the native allergen. Read More

Toxins (Basel) 2020 05 14;12(5). Epub 2020 May 14.

Center of Allergy and Environment (ZAUM), Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine and Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, 85764 Munich, Germany.

Allergic reactions to stings of Hymenoptera species can have serious or even fatal consequences. If the identification of the culprit insect is possible, venom-specific immunotherapy effectively cures Hymenoptera venom allergies. Although component-resolved diagnostics has strongly evolved in recent years, the differentiation between allergies to closely related species such as and spp. Read More

Toxicon 2020 Jul 7;182:1-6. Epub 2020 May 7.

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

In Asia, acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by wasp stings is common; however, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved remain unclear. To evaluate the mechanisms associated with AKI induced by wasp stings, we conducted a retrospective cohort study that assessed blood and urinary samples from 112 patients with hospital admissions resulting from wasp stings. These samples were divided into those with AKI and without AKI as described in the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) database. Read More

QJM 2021 Feb;114(1):53-54

Department of Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 160012, India.

PLoS One 2020 16;15(4):e0231747. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

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

Background: Large local reactions (LLR) to Hymenoptera stings were considered as IgE-mediated late-phase inflammatory reactions. However, in older studies, most patients with LLR were skin test positive, but only around 50% had detectable sIgE determined by the RAST system.

Methods: Data of 620 patients were evaluated retrospectively: 310 patients who suffered from LLR and 310 patients with previous systemic sting reactions (SSR). Read More

J Econ Entomol 2020 06;113(3):1211-1220

State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, and Key Laboratory of Northwest Loess Plateau Crop Pest Management of Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.

The biocontrol values of natural enemies are strongly correlated to their ability to regulate the density of their host/prey. For parasitoids, apart from parasitism and host feeding, unsuccessful host stinging (i.e. Read More

Cutis 2020 Jan;105(1):17-18

Department of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA.

The Hymenoptera order of insects includes Apidae (bees), Vespidae (wasps, yellow jackets, hornets), and Formicidae (fire ants). All 3 of these families of insects inject venom into their prey or as a defense mechanism via ovipositors in their abdomen. Three types of reactions can be seen after a vespid sting: uncomplicated local reactions, large local reactions, and systemic reactions (SRs). Read More

PLoS One 2020 10;15(1):e0225672. Epub 2020 Jan 10.

CMC Research and Development, ALK-Abelló S.A., Madrid, Spain.

The aim of this study was to purify potential allergenic components of Vespa velutina venom, the yellow legged Asian Hornet, and perform a preliminary characterization of the purified proteins. Starting from the whole venom of V.velutina, several chromatographic steps allowed to purify the phospholipase (named Vesp v 1), as well as the antigen 5 (Vesp v 5, the only allergenic component described as such so far). Read More

Case Rep Nephrol Dial 2019 Sep-Dec;9(3):137-148. Epub 2019 Nov 13.

Department of Child Health, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Multiple wasp stings may cause fatal complications, such as anaphylactic reactions, intravascular hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury (AKI), increased levels of liver enzymes, clotting abnormalities, or even death. AKI-related mortality due to multiple wasp stings may reach 25%, occurring within the early onset of disease; therefore, renal function should be continuously monitored within the first few days following the stings. Herein, we report 2 cases of AKI due to multiple stings of wasp (). Read More