Hornet bites and their danger to humans

The hornet, the bite of which is remembered forever, can meet a person anywhere: on a hike, in a country house, or even while on holiday in hot countries. Each type of these insects stings, of course, in its own way, but, nevertheless, contact with anyone, even with the least aggressive ordinary (European) hornet, promises a person a rather unpleasant outcome of the meeting.

Hornet bite among all Hymenoptera insects is considered one of the most painful and fraught with serious consequences. It feels a bit like stinging a normal wasp or a bee, but the pain itself, however, as in general, the symptoms of a hornet bite, are at times stronger and more sensitive.

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“I remember that it was the hornet who once bit me. God, how painful it was, I started to ring in my ears. And that bit only one, and I quickly shook it.The bite was on the lower back, and literally in a few minutes the inflammation spread to the shoulder blades. I knew that if a hornet bit a person, then because of too strong allergy symptoms you could die, but I didn’t have anything like that. Maybe the temperature has risen slightly. But out of serious - only terrible pain. There is a feeling that half-spins are simply cut off. And so - for five days, then gradually everything went away. "

Inna, Volgograd

The photo shows what the hand looks like after a hornet bite:

If in our latitudes overwhelmingly the bite of this insect will cause even if not fatal, but very unpleasant and generally unsafe for health symptoms, then in the tropics people often die from bites of hornets. For example, in Japan (according to current statistics) about 40 people die each year directly as a result of an attack by local giant hornets - so many people do not die there from any other insect or wild animal.

Meanwhile, hornets - insects are not too aggressive and even much more peaceful than, say, the same wasps. The sting of a hornet goes into action comparatively rarely and only when there is a serious danger for himself or for his nest.Therefore, to disturb such nests is really fraught with mass bites: if there is any threat to the whole family, the hornets will defend themselves for life and death.

On a note

Despite the severe consequences of hornet bites in general, individuals of the common European species, which is often found on Russian summer cottages, are not at all leading in the pain of stings among insects of our fauna. So, roadblock bites are much more sensitive. Approximately similar, but still slightly more painful, are considered to be bite floats - water bugs. But the most approximate in sensations is the bite of a big horsefly: the hornet bites just as painful, but the consequences of its stinging and the accompanying symptoms are much more serious because of the effect of the poison. Blindness during an attack bites off a piece of skin from the victim, but the wound that appears, however, heals very quickly, and stops bothering within a few minutes after the attack. But the hornet bite is dangerous just the consequences that can be very serious.

The photo shows a hornet bite about 1 hour after the attack on a person:

 

The poison of the hornet and its effect on the body

The hornet venom contains many components, some of which are widely found in the animal world, for example, are part of the poison of rattlesnakes.

Active ingredients of hornet venom:

1. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that causes a sharp activation of nerve endings and the generation of impulses. Figuratively speaking, falling in excess in the tissue, he beats the nerve gangs with a hammer and causes terrible pain.
2. Phospholipases and orientotoxin are components that cause destruction of cell walls and leakage of their contents into the extracellular space. Because of this, where the hornet has bitten, the center of inflammation occurs first, and then, if the walls of blood vessels are damaged, hemorrhage occurs, often accompanied by subsequent suppuration. Phospholipases are an integral component of snake venom.
3. Histamine - in simple terms, this substance is, by its nature, an activator of an instantaneous allergic reaction.
4. Protein components that cause the breakdown of the victim’s own mast cells and thus release additional amounts of histamine.
5. Biogenic amines are substances that trigger heart palpitations and respiration.

It is interesting

One of the protein components contained in the venom of hornets is called crabrolin - in honor of the insect itself (the Latin name of the common hornet is Vespa crabro).

This composition of the poison determines not only what the hornet bite looks like on the body of the victim externally, but also with what force it affects the body as a whole. The video below shows the effects of a hornet bite:
 

It looks like the bites of hornets

Interestingly, the composition of the poison depends largely on how and for what the insects use their toxins. So, for example, the poison of the hornet is a typical defensive one; it is not intended for attack or immobilization. At the same time, in Scoli (close relatives of hornets that are dark in color and sometimes not inferior to them in size), poison is used precisely to paralyze the prey, for example, the larvae of large beetles. The bite of these insects, unlike the hornets, is insensitive and does not lead to serious symptoms of intoxication or allergy in humans.

One of the most important features of a hornet bite is its ability to sting several times. Unlike the honeybee, the hornet after each bite takes out its sting from the victim's skin and can continue to use it.

It is interesting

The toxicity of hornet venom is less than that of an ordinary honeybee. But the pain caused by the bite is stronger.

Needless to say, a large predator spends a significantly smaller dose of poison on one bite than, for example, the same bee - after all, it needs to keep a strategic supply of protective substance for further attack. However, the victim experiences severe pain, even from one such “injection”.

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“What kind of stupid questions, does the hornet bite, or not? This is a wasp, only large. Of course, bites. I have here this summer, the hornet bit a cat in the country, and for the nose. I thought the animal would not survive. His eyes did not open, he could barely breathe through his mouth. An eerie sight, I even had to take him to the vet, but he seemed to have left. ”

Olga, Kaluga

Due to the mobility of the body, the hornet bites quickly and practically from any position. It can be said that if this insect decided to attack, then it will be problematic to avoid a bite - its reaction rate is too high.

By and large, the word "bite" in relation to this large insect should not be used: hitting the prey, it hurts the hornet, and does not bite. Despite the powerful jaws with which the predator kills its prey — insects and various small arthropods — it chooses to use the sting for protection. However, for simplicity, it is often said that the hornet “bites”.

It is interesting

Unlike bumblebees and bees, the hornet can sting without sitting on the body of a person or other animal. People say that the "hornet beats" - it really flies close to the victim, quickly bends the body and thrusts the sting into the body. The poison is literally injected immediately, and the wasp takes the sting out of the skin. This is similar to a quick kick of a boxer and is a copy of the prick of the riders - distant relatives of the hornets, who in this way impose an egg into the victim's body with lightning speed. In this case, his legs do not touch the body of the enemy. Thanks to this technique, the hornet can sting in a row in the same place several times.

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“I once saw a hornet bite in the head. The girl on her head seemed like a huge dropsy appeared, half the face was swollen.She was constantly injected with a painkiller, but she still could not eat, because it was painful for her to move her mouth. ”

Vladislav, Moscow

The photo shows the consequences of how a giant hornet bit a person:

 

Symptoms of a Hornet Bite

The hornet bite is very dangerous for a person: some of the symptoms that appear in a victim after meeting with this insect carry a serious threat to health, and sometimes even to life.

First of all, sting causes incredible pain. It is felt immediately, even before the insect takes the sting out of the skin. But after that, the pain does not subside, but vice versa - it only intensifies due to the distribution of acetylcholine through the tissues.

The photo shows what the hornet bite looks like in the face:

In addition to severe pain, one of the primary symptoms that appear almost immediately after the bite is inflammation in the affected area, accompanied by extensive edema. The more poison the hornet has managed to inject into the wound and the higher the body's sensitivity to it, the stronger the swelling will be.

The photo shows the sting of a hornet:

In some cases, suppuration, tissue necrosis and multiple hemorrhages may appear at the site of inflammation.Such consequences are especially characteristic for cases when not one hornet bites a person - multiple bites can develop into Quincke edema.

A particular danger is a hornet bite for children. In addition to the above symptoms in babies, the appearance of edema, among other things, can affect the internal organs.

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“I am very afraid of any wasps and hornets and bypass their tenth road. And the husband flaunts his courage, and once he got there. Hand chased the hornet out of the summer kitchen, and he bit it. I don’t know, I think it was very big, but my husband’s fingers were so swollen that he couldn’t take a spoon. Such a pillow on the arm was. "

Olga, Barnaul

One of the most dangerous is a giant bite. asian hornetliving mainly in Southeast Asia, and on the territory of our country - in Primorye. This insect as a whole is quite calm, but if it stings, then, as they say, “it will not seem like a little”.

First, the Asian hornet almost always floats its sting several times in one attack. Secondly, it injects a sufficiently large dose of poison into the body of the victim, which also includes the unique substance mandorotoxin, which has a powerful effect on the nervous system.Among other things, the numerous bites of this hornet can cause hemorrhages in the internal organs.

In the photo - a giant Asian hornet:

However, even without a severe allergic reaction, a hornet bite in a person can cause symptoms such as palpitations, headaches and shortness of breath. These temporary reactions rarely reach in their manifestations to severe heart pain or asphyxia, but, nevertheless, they can frighten a person greatly.

Another characteristic feature of the hornet bite can be noted - the pain in the affected area is always accompanied by severe itching, sometimes such that there is no way to endure it. To alleviate this, in principle, not dangerous, but a very unpleasant symptom requires the adoption of special medicines.

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“We had a case in the department once. They brought the child, he was bitten by a hornet for the ass. It seems that everything is normal in terms of indicators, but the temperature is increased, and the swelling on the priest is such that the baby could not move. All the fabrics hardened, it is clear that the child was very painful. He had to prick Xekofam and put him in the ward. Only four days later he began to pass through, and we let him and his mother go home. ”

Tatyana, Kiev

As mentioned above, a person develops an allergic reaction within a few minutes after being bitten. Its depth depends on individual sensitivity and can vary from simple inflammation to very serious consequences. Let's look at them in more detail.

 

Heavy consequences of the attack

Hornet bite allergy is probably the most dangerous consequence for a human being to attack this insect. In people with hypersensitivity to poison, the body’s immune response can be very severe, sometimes turning into anaphylactic shock and ending in death.

You can never be sure for sure in the body's reaction to an insect bite, because it does not depend on the physical condition, and its severity is largely determined by genetic factors. Therefore, if the hornet bite still happened, you need to carefully monitor the emerging symptoms and their condition as a whole.

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“Last year, two people were admitted to our hospital with anaphylactic shock after stinging hornets. One was unconscious, the second - in a faint and dizzy state. In both cases, the cause was a single bite.In one patient, because of the edema, the patency of the upper respiratory tract was impaired; Despite our efforts and the use of serious drugs, he died from acute renal failure. The surviving patient admitted that he didn’t know if the hornets were biting and tried to simply drive away the insect that had come to the smell of dried fish. ”

Tian Li, Huandu

An allergic reaction of the organism almost always proceeds according to the same “scenario”. However, we should not forget that its intensity in different people is absolutely individual, therefore, how far an allergy goes in its manifestations depends specifically on the body of the victim. However, let's highlight all possible symptoms as they occur.

1. The first sign of an organism’s immune response is inflammation at the site of the bite itself. It is characteristic of all stung.
2. Then begin to appear rapid heartbeat, headaches, fever is noted.
3. Next, a person has increased lymph nodes, nausea and diarrhea can occur.
4. In rare cases, renal failure develops.

If any of these symptoms appear, the victim should be immediately transported to the hospital, since the risk of death is high enough without medical assistance.In the case of high sensitivity of the body (which the bitten may not know about), even simple inflammation can quickly develop into more serious manifestations.

Important!

Mortality from anaphylactic shock after a hornet bite, even with timely treatment is 15-20%.

Special attention should be focused on a very important fact: the severity of allergy increases with each new stinging of every hymenoptera. This means that if once a bite, for example, a bee had allergic effects, then from the meeting with the hornet, you can expect more serious complications.

 

If the hornet has bitten: what to do?

Now let's define the sequence of actions if a hornet sting you or a nearby person.

After a bite, you do not need to look for a sting in the skin - it is simply not there. Only bees leave their sting in the wound, while hornets live in peace and continue to use it further. But what should be done right away is to drink a tablet of Suprastin or Claritin in order to stop the development of an allergic reaction.

Next, a person should:

• try to suck the poison out of the wound, but do it for no more than 2-3 minutes, because the skin in the puncture site is quickly tightened, and the main amount of toxin still remains inside;
• apply a moistened piece of sugar to the wound - it will draw out some more of the poison;
• impose a cold compress on the developing edema to slow the spread of the toxin in the tissues;
• lubricate the stung place with phenystyle and drink diphenhydramine.

All further actions are reduced to two fairly simple goals: monitoring the condition of the victim and the fight against symptoms. If the body temperature of a stung person does not rise above 38 ° C, it should not be beaten down.

Important!

In no case should alcohol be ingested after a hornet bite: edema may greatly increase.

If the hornet has bitten a cat or a dog, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the pet and, if possible, apply a compress to the stung area of ​​the body. If the animal’s condition worsens, it should be shown to the veterinarian.

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“Our Birby (Yorkshire Terrier) was recently bitten by a hornet. The dog smashed his entire shoulder, shortness of breath began, he could not move his paw, did not eat anything. We called the vet, he told us that this is exactly the hornet. He injected some means for removing the edema, but only after a week did Birby start eating and walking normally. I lost weight during this time ... "

Alla, Voronezh

Anyway, a hornet bite is in any case a very serious incident requiring close attention. If a particular person has ever had severe allergic reactions to insect stings, he should always have with him the so-called “allergic passport” - a certificate from an allergist, which contains all the necessary data in case this patient with severe bite symptoms the hornet gets to the hospital.

After the attack of the hornet, you should carefully monitor your health and not be too self-confident: anaphylactic shock develops very quickly and can affect even completely healthy and physically strong people. Therefore, for any deterioration in well-being, you should without hesitation go to the hospital or call an ambulance.

 

Useful video: the dangerous bites of hornets and wasps

 

Hornet attacks on humans