Risk Assessment in Determining Systemic Reactivity to Honeybee Stings in Beekeepers

Bee venom allergy in beekeepers and their family members

“…(1) the first years of beekeeping; the first stings in spring [10,13,15]; (2) fewer than 10 annual bee stings [9,17];…”

“…In the highly exposed population of beekeepers (Table 1), up to 31% report large local and 14-32% report systemic allergic reactions following bee stings [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. The frequency of both positive diagnostic tests and sting reactions is highest during the first years of beekeeping [13,15]. The frequency of both positive diagnostic tests and sting reactions is highest during the first years of beekeeping [13,15].…”

“…In contrast to this, a history of atopic disease is more often reported in beekeepers with than those without bee venom allergy (Table 3) [8,11,14]. Beekeepers who suffer from symptoms of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis or asthma when working in the beehive are most often sensitized to bee whole-body extract, sometimes also to bee venom [10], and are at a significantly increased risk of developing systemic allergic sting reactions [15]. It has been suggested [8] that during their work in the beehive, atopic beekeepers get more easily sensitized than non-atopic beekeepers, most likely through inhalation of bee dust or multiple stings.…”

Anti-inflammatory Activity of Sting Protein from Apis mellifera

“…As per the literature, bee venom extracted from the stings of Apis mellifera has been widely used medicinally in Europe for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. During ancient period, healers have practiced apitherapy with respect to honeybee products that are used for various curative purposes [2][3][4][5][6]. As per the literature, researchers focused or explored the potential of bee venom extracted from stings for treating a wide variety of conditions from acute tendonitis to chronic back pain to rheumatoid arthritis [1].…”

“…In general, honeybee venom is generally produced by two glands which is associated with sting apparatus of worker and queen bees. The production of bee venom increased during first two weeks of life and reached up to maximum when they become involved in hive defence and foraging [1,[4][5]. In contrast, honey bee venom showed complex variety of numerous peptides including proteins that showed strong neurotoxic and immunogenic effects.…”