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Article: Make Summer Safer: Beware of Bees; Allergic Reactions to Stinging Insects Can Kill
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- May 12, 1987
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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A bee sting can be as deadly as a snakebite to people who are
severely allergic. Each year, about 45 people die from insect
stings, although some allergists think this figure is underreported.
A significant number of insect sting deaths may be mistaken for
heart attacks, said Dr. Howard J. Schwartz, an allergist and clinical
professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "If a
person who is middle-aged collapses on a golf course, the county
coroner's office will say natural causes and assume a heart attack."
Besides bees, the most dangerous insects are wasps, yellow
jackets, hornets and fire ants, which are more commonly found in the
South.
The number of people who are ...