"Angry bees swarmed two people in Indio, Calif. this morning, sending them to the hospital with almost 200 stings in all.
Dr. Wesley Burks, who chairs the University of North Carolina’s pediatrics department and has a 30-year career that involves working with skin allergies, said an attack like that is rare. If fact, he’s never seen one firsthand.
'Generally, you see somebody stung once or maybe five to ten times, but not 80 or 100,' Burks said. 'I’ve talked to people that have seen them…but it’s less than a handful.'
Burks said a large number of stings like this can often lead to anaphylactic shock — even if the patient is not allergic to bee stings.
Each sting releases proteins into the victim’s body, causing swelling and eventually resulting in a histamine reaction — as if the body were reacting to an allergy. Sometimes, that swelling can even affect the victim’s ability to breath, Burks said.
Burks said bee stings generally affect people the same way, regardless of age, but conditions like hypertension and diabetes can make it harder to respond and recover."
Bee Attack Sends Two Californians to the Hospital
By Sydney Lupkin
Dr. Wesley Burks, who chairs the University of North Carolina’s pediatrics department and has a 30-year career that involves working with skin allergies, said an attack like that is rare. If fact, he’s never seen one firsthand.
'Generally, you see somebody stung once or maybe five to ten times, but not 80 or 100,' Burks said. 'I’ve talked to people that have seen them…but it’s less than a handful.'
Burks said a large number of stings like this can often lead to anaphylactic shock — even if the patient is not allergic to bee stings.
Each sting releases proteins into the victim’s body, causing swelling and eventually resulting in a histamine reaction — as if the body were reacting to an allergy. Sometimes, that swelling can even affect the victim’s ability to breath, Burks said.
Burks said bee stings generally affect people the same way, regardless of age, but conditions like hypertension and diabetes can make it harder to respond and recover."
Bee Attack Sends Two Californians to the Hospital
By Sydney Lupkin
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