Epidemiology of envenomation by Africanized honeybees in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: In the American continent, accidents caused by honeybees are a public health problem due to the high incidence and severity of the cases. Despite its medical importance, there are few epidemiological studies on this topic in Brazil, especially referring to the Northeastern states. The present study aims to describe the epidemiological features of honeybee envenomation cases in the state of the Rio Grande do Norte, Northeastern Brazil, from 2007 to 2014. Methods: Data were collected from the Notifiable Diseases Information System database of the Health Department of Rio Grande do Norte. Results: We analyzed a total of 2,168 cases. Cases occurred in all months of the years studied, reaching higher frequencies from June to October. Most incidents happened in urban areas and involved men, with victims aged between 20 and 39 years. Victims were mainly stung on the head and hand, and they received medical care predominantly within 3 hours after the injury. Local manifestations were more frequent than systemic ones. Clinically, most cases were mild and progressed to cure. Conclusion: The high number of honeybee sting cases shows that Rio Grande do Norte may be an important risk area for such injury.

Epidemiology of accidents involving venomous animals in the State of Ceará, Brazil (2007-2019)

“…Previous epidemiological studies have confirmed the influence of human and environmental factors on the occurrences of incidents involving venomous animals in Northeast Brazil 17 , especially in the rainiest months 15,16,18 , corroborating our data. In our study, women were more vulnerable, and these results are in line with those of other epidemiological studies involving incidents caused by venomous animals in Brazil 19 and in the Northeast region 15,17,[20][21][22] . The predominance of men usually reveals their greater exposure to areas where there are risks of snakebites, and this is especially true for those performing manual civilian work, such as agricultural workers 15 .…”

Case Report: “Killer Bee” Swarm Attacks in French Guiana: The Importance of Prompt Care

“…"Killer bees," observed since 1975 in French Guiana, a French overseas region partly located in the Amazon, are known to regularly provoke swarm attacks involving several hundred individuals in populations throughout the Americas. [1][2][3][4][5] There is a risk of systemic toxic reaction from as few as 50 stings for an adult, and the median lethal dose is 19 stings/kg. 6 Here, we describe the immediate clinical symptoms and early biological disorders following a swarm attack by hundreds of Africanized bees on a group of 10 healthy adult men.…”

Case Report: Acute Kidney Failure due to Massive Envenomation of a Two-Year-Old Child Caused by Killer Bee Stings

“…Thus, in the 1980s, several DNA studies showed that wild honeybees in most Latin American countries were Africanized to a high degree. 1 Currently, this species of bee is known to cause public health problems [4][5][6][7][8] due to the potential risk of systemic toxic reaction from as little as 50 stings for an adult, that is, 1 sting/kg. 9 In French Guiana, a French overseas region partly located in the Amazon and bordering Suriname and Brazil, Hommel and Le Borgne have described several massive envenomations, 10,11 but, to our knowledge, no attack on a child had been reported thus far on this territory.…”