Production of the First Effective Hyperimmune Equine Serum Antivenom against Africanized Bees

Santos, Keity Souza; Stephano, Marco Antônio; Marcelino, José Roberto; Ferreira, Virginia Maria Resende; Rocha, Thalita; Caricati, Celso Pereira; Higashi, Hisako Gondo; Moro, Ana Maria; Kalil, Jorge; Malaspina, Osmar; Castro, Fábio Fernandes Morato; Palma, Mário Sérgio

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079971

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Despite the low number of deaths, the accident with bees is still a concern, as it may often be a case of a medical emergency. Also, since antivenom is undergoing clinical trials, severe cases have only been treated with clinical support 27,28 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Marques

Araújo

Tavares

et al. 2020

Rev. bras. epidemiol.

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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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Marques

Araújo

Tavares

et al. 2020

Rev. bras. epidemiol.

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“…In vitro , the hemolytic activity of 1 mg of bee venom was neutralized by ~50 mg of the antivenom. In vivo , the horse antivenom was able to completely neutralize the myotoxic effects of bee venom with an effective dose (ED 50 ) of 1.11 mg/mL (mg of bee venom/mL of antivenom) (180). Also, using horse immunization, Barraviera and co-authors recently developed a horse F(ab') 2 -based antivenom with an ED 50 of 1.25 mg/mL (181).…”

Section: Next-generation Antivenom Therapymentioning

confidence: 99%

Bee Updated: Current Knowledge on Bee Venom and Bee Envenoming Therapy

et al. 2019

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Honey bees can be found all around the world and fulfill key pollination roles within their natural ecosystems, as well as in agriculture. Most species are typically docile, and most interactions between humans and bees are unproblematic, despite their ability to inject a complex venom into their victims as a defensive mechanism. Nevertheless, incidences of bee stings have been on the rise since the accidental release of Africanized bees to Brazil in 1956 and their subsequent spread across the Americas. These bee hybrids are more aggressive and are prone to attack, presenting a significant healthcare burden to the countries they have colonized. To date, treatment of such stings typically focuses on controlling potential allergic reactions, as no specific antivenoms against bee venom currently exist. Researchers have investigated the possibility of developing bee antivenoms, but this has been complicated by the very low immunogenicity of the key bee toxins, which fail to induce a strong antibody response in the immunized animals. However, with current cutting-edge technologies, such as phage display, alongside the rise of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, the development of a recombinant bee antivenom is achievable, and promising results towards this goal have been reported in recent years. Here, current knowledge on the venom biology of Africanized bees and current treatment options against bee envenoming are reviewed. Additionally, recent developments within next-generation bee antivenoms are presented and discussed.

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“…The PE + CVVHDF combination also reduced A definitive treatment for venom-induced MODS has not been established yet. Many therapeutic procedures, including specific honey bee anti-venom, adrenaline, hydrocortisone, optimal hydration and alkaline diuresis, have been evaluated and found to have limited benefits [13,14] . However, only a few studies have reported the use of blood purification for venom-induced MODS treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of Two Combinations of Blood Purification Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Organ Failure Induced by Wasp Stings

Yuan¹,

Chen²,

Hu³

et al. 2016

Blood Purif

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Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the clinical efficacy of 2 combinations of blood purification techniques in patients with sting venom-induced multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Methods: A total of 23 patients received 35 sessions of hemoperfusion (HP) + continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) treatment and 22 sessions of plasma exchange (PE) + CVVHDF treatment, respectively. Results: Both HP + CVVHDF and PE + CVVHDF reduced the levels of inflammation, thus improving our patients' health condition. Moreover, PE + CVVHDF was found to be significantly more effective in reducing the levels of specific liver function markers and inflammatory mediators, as well as shortening prothrombin time and increasing the levels of serum albumin. Conclusion: Both combinations of blood purification techniques were capable of improving MODS. However, the PE + CVVHDF approach was more efficient for the removal of wasp venom and inflammatory mediators from the blood.

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Production of the First Effective Hyperimmune Equine Serum Antivenom against Africanized Bees

Cited by 21 publications

References 23 publications

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

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

Bee Updated: Current Knowledge on Bee Venom and Bee Envenoming Therapy

Efficacy of Two Combinations of Blood Purification Techniques for the Treatment of Multiple Organ Failure Induced by Wasp Stings

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