"Bees could hold the key to preventing HIV transmission. Researchers have discovered that bee venom kills the virus while leaving body cells unharmed, which could lead to an anti-HIV vaginal gel and other treatments.

Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that melittin, a toxin found in bee venom, physically destroys the HIV virus, a breakthrough that could potentially lead to drugs that are immune to HIV resistance. The study was published Thursday in the journal Antiviral Therapy.

'Our hope is that in places where HIV is running rampant, people could use this as a preventative measure to stop the initial infection,' Joshua Hood, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement."


Study: Bee Venom Kills HIV
By Jason Koebler

"It is unusual to die from an allergic reaction following a bee sting, an allergy specialist says.

Dr Miriam Hurst said no-one had done studies in New Zealand but overseas data indicated between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent of the population had a generalised reaction to bee stings...

Looking at overseas studies, the people who died from stings generally tended to be people with asthma and people who did not get adrenaline.

Most were stung on the foot, in the afternoon.

Those people who had a milder reaction to bee or wasp venom but had asthma and lived a long way from medical treatment were also advised to carry adrenaline and have an allergic-reaction plan."


Bee sting fatalities rare, says doctor
SALLY KIDSON

"Almost all available advice about stings is sensational or emphasizes allergies. Very little of that advice admits that bee stings are pretty insignificant most of the time, causing little more than some excitement and temporary minor pain, or that some people actually seek out bee stings for their beneficial effects."

What Everyone Needs to Know About Bee Stings
from http://www.honeybeeworld.com/misc/stings.htm

"Wasps and bees sting to defend themselves or their colony. Stinging involves the injection of a protein venom that causes pain and other reactions.

Wasps and bumblebees can sting more than once because they are able to pull out their stinger without injury to themselves. If you are stung by a wasp or bumblebee, the stinger is not left in your skin.

Honey bees have barbs on their stinger which remain hooked in the skin. The stinger, which is connected to the digestive system of the bee, is torn out of the abdomen as the bee attempts to fly away. As a result, the bee soon dies. If you are stung by a honey bee, scratch out the stinger (with its attached venom gland) with your fingernail as soon as possible. Do not try to pull out the stinger between two fingers. Doing so only forces more venom into your skin, causing greater irritation.

Most people have only local reactions to wasp and bee stings, although a few may experience more serious allergic reactions. Local, nonallergic reactions range from burning, itching, redness, and tenderness to massive swelling and itching that may last up to a week. These local reactions can be treated with ice, vinegar, honey, meat tenderizer, or commercial topical ointment to relieve the itching. An allergic reaction may include hives or rash, swelling away from the sting site, headache, minor respiratory symptoms, and stomach upset. These allergic reactions are not life-threatening and can be readily treated with an antihistamine.

Very rarely, a person may suffer a life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction to a bee or wasp sting, which can cause anaphylactic shock (fainting, difficulty breathing, swelling, and blockage in the throat) within minutes of being stung. These systemic symptoms are cause for immediate medical attention. People with known systemic allergic reactions to bee or wasp stings should consult with their physician to obtain an Epi-PenTM or Ana-Guard Sting KitTM to carry with them at all times. The venoms of bees and wasps are different, so having a severe reaction to a wasp sting does not mean a person will have the same reaction to a bee sting."

WASP AND BEE CONTROL
Jeffrey Hahn, Phil Pellitteri, Donald Lewis