"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Newport wrote:

As for allergies, dont be so sure its rare. Allergic reactions to bee
stings and the resultant cases of anaphalactic (spelling?) shock are
growing rapidly, and I would assume the same is true of wasl stings.
The venom is different, but the trigger for the reaction, mast cell
degranulating enzyme that causes a chain reaction in allergic people,
is the same - its what causes the swelling. It is supposed to be true
however, that people allergic tyo bee stings are not allergic to wasp
stings - but just try and find one thats willing to take the risk!

That is not so. If your first statement were true, your second would
necessarily be false! It is, indeed, true that allergy to bee stings
is much more common than allergy to wasp stings - despite many more
people being stung by wasps in the UK, many fewer people die.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Mast-cell degranulation is common to anaphylactic reactions to both types of
sting (and other triggers to anaphylaxis) but is not the trigger. The first
step is interaction between a venom antigen and an immunoglobulin (IgE)
which acts as a receptor on the mast cell. Bee and wasp venoms both contain
numerous antigens. Often "mellitin" is the relevant substance in beestings,
whilst "antigen 5" is the one in wasp stings, so most people allergic to one
type of sting will just have the normal reaction to the other, but I don't
think this is 100% guaranteed - there may be components similar across
several hymenopteran species, and there'll be someone unlucky enough to be
allergic to more than one insect antigen.

The actual lethal dose of venom in a non-allergic person is said to be 500
to 1200 honey-bee stings, and as low as 50 to 200 stings from Vespa spp.

(Source: Richard S Vetter, Scott Camazine, P Kirk Visscher
Emergency Medicine. New York: Aug 2000. Vol. 32, Iss. 8; pg. 63)

Duncan

(I HATE WASPS !!!)