Deaths from bee stings: a report of three cases from Pretoria, South Africa

Toit-Prinsloo, Lorraine Du; Morris, Natashia; Meyer, P.W.A.; Saayman, Gert

doi:10.1007/s12024-015-9737-x

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, the major reason highlighted by respondents for not practicing beekeeping was fear toward them, and this fear may be justified by previous deaths that have been caused by the species. According to a study by du Toit-Prinsloo et al (2016) in South Africa, 109 deaths were recorded in the period 2001 to 2011 due to hornets, wasps, and bees. This finding suggests that fear is a strong barrier to bee conservation and has to be addressed by awareness conservation programs if effective pollinator conservation is to be achieved.…”

Section: Attitudes Toward Bees and Their Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pollination and Bees in a Maize-Producing Region of Zimbabwe: Implications for Pollinator Conservation

Tarakini

Chemura

Musundire

2020

Tropical Conservation Science

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Pollination ecosystem service contributes tremendously to food security; however, little is known about the farmers' awareness of the ecosystem service to ensure conservation of pollinators. This study determined farmers' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes toward bees, and pollination in a maize-producing region of Zimbabwe using semistructured questionnaires (N ¼ 828). Generalized linear model and logit regressions were used to determine factors influencing farmers' ability to identify bees, knowledge of pollination, and fear toward bees, respectively. Identification of bees was positively related to education, years in farming, and negatively related to fear toward bees (p < .001). Fear toward bees was influenced by gender, knowledge of bee attack fatalities, and perception of the importance of bees (p < .001). The majority of respondents (67%) confirmed knowledge of pollination (v 2 ¼ 96.043, p < .001), and the probability of knowing pollination was higher for those who depended on media compared with extension and school education as a source of farming information (p < .001). Our findings suggest that to improve bee conservation, farmers should be made more aware of the diverse bee fauna, specifically regarding their benefits as pollinators compared with the few dangers (resulting from stings) in order to reduce fear and increase willingness to conserve bees. Bee awareness programs need to be accessible to women, youth, and those with less formal education as they exhibited the least knowledge. Our findings also support evidence showing that extension officers should consider various media options for the effective dissemination of information to the different target audiences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Attitudes Toward Bees and Their Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pollination and Bees in a Maize-Producing Region of Zimbabwe: Implications for Pollinator Conservation

Tarakini

Chemura

Musundire

2020

Tropical Conservation Science

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“…Even if Hymenoptera stings are a frequent cause of anaphylactic reactions, there is a consistent number of related deaths that cannot be correctly identified due to the difficulty of making a postmortem diagnosis [15,16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postmortem Biochemistry and Immunohistochemistry in Anaphylactic Death Due to Hymenoptera Sting: A Forensic Case Report

Mondello

Baldino

Cianci

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Background: Postmortem assessment of anaphylactic death is a challenge for forensic pathologists. One of the most frequent elicitors of anaphylaxis is insect venom. Here, a case of anaphylactic death due to Hymenoptera stings is reported to highlight the contribution of postmortem biochemistry and immunohistochemistry in assessing the cause of death. Case report: A 59-year-old Caucasian man working on his farm was presumably stung by a bee and died. He had a history of previous sensitization to insect venom. The autopsy revealed no signs of insect puncture, mild edema of the larynx, and foamy edema in the bronchial tree and lungs. Routine histology showed endo-alveolar edema and hemorrhage, bronchospasm, and scattered bronchial obstruction due to mucus hyperproduction. Biochemical analysis was performed, and serum tryptase was equal to 189 µg/L, total IgE was 200 kU/L, and specific IgE dosage was positive for bee and yellow jacket species. Immunohistochemistry for tryptase detection was carried out, revealing mast cells and degranulated tryptase expression in the larynx, lungs, spleen, and heart. These findings led to the diagnosis of anaphylactic death due to Hymenoptera stings. Conclusions: The case highlights that the role of biochemistry and immunohistochemistry in the postmortem assessment of anaphylactic reactions should be stressed by forensic practitioners.

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“…In general, our study is supported by that of Armfield (2006), which found that local people believed bees were dangerous. Also, a study by du Toit-Prinsloo et al (2016) in South Africa reported that local people are afraid of bees due to deaths resulting from wasps and bee stings. Our results, therefore, suggest that local people, not only in Tanzania but also in some other countries, consider bees as harmful.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

People’s Knowledge and Perceptions Towards Bee–Pollinators in the Southern Highlands, Tanzania: Conservation Implications and Strategies

Ojija

Leweri

2022

Tropical Conservation Science

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Background and research aims Bees are important pollinators of flowering wild plants and agricultural crops that contribute significantly towards food security, improving people’s livelihoods, and maintaining genetic diversity in plant communities. However, the decline of the bee population due to anthropogenic changes and limited knowledge of bees is threatening bee diversity, particularly in sub–Saharan Africa. Negative perceptions, that is, fear and disgust, are common emotions that lead to a lack of support for bee conservation. Understanding local people’s perceptions is vital as it can help in bee conservation decision making and proper protection actions. Methods We conducted the study in the Mbeya and Songwe regions of Tanzania to assess the knowledge and perception of local people about bee–pollinators and conservation using a structured questionnaire Results We found that the majority of respondents (91%) have heard about bees (χ2 = 6275, p < 0.001) and their conservation initiatives (71%), and about 84% of respondents consider bees to be important (χ2 = 168.9, p = 0.001). Moreover, Apis mellifera had the highest identification rate, with 52.7% of respondents. A binary logistic model revealed that respondents' knowledge of bee–pollinators and pollination is not influenced by their age (except for respondents aged 15–18 years, p = 0.012) and education level. While 74% of respondents claimed to be afraid of bees, 79% stated that bees are dangerous to humans. The most common cause is personal experience with bee stings. Poor farm management practices, for example, use of fire and deforestation, were noted by 79% of respondents as the most human activities threatening bee–pollinators. Conclusion Overall, the respondents were more familiar with A. mellifera compared to non–Apis bee species. Implications for conservation Thus, we suggest that implementation of pollinator management programs is vital to ensure their survival and reduce the perceived threat by dispelling myths and encouraging interest in bees.

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Deaths from bee stings: a report of three cases from Pretoria, South Africa

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pollination and Bees in a Maize-Producing Region of Zimbabwe: Implications for Pollinator Conservation

Farmers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Pollination and Bees in a Maize-Producing Region of Zimbabwe: Implications for Pollinator Conservation

Postmortem Biochemistry and Immunohistochemistry in Anaphylactic Death Due to Hymenoptera Sting: A Forensic Case Report

People’s Knowledge and Perceptions Towards Bee–Pollinators in the Southern Highlands, Tanzania: Conservation Implications and Strategies

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