The Nation - News from July 14, 1989

More people apparently are prone to potentially life-threatening allergic reactions to bee and wasp stings than previously thought, researchers reported. “Allergic reactions to insect stings are much more common than we realized,” said Dr. David Golden, an allergy expert at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., Golden’s team estimated 3% of the adult population may be allergic to the venom in bee, wasp and other insect stings. That is five to 10 times higher than previous estimates. People who are allergic to the venom in the stings suffer reactions that can include hives, breathing problems and even death. An allergic reaction can be treated with Adrenalin but it must be given quickly to be effective, Golden said.