United States – Even as people in North Carolina continue to clean up following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, a new health danger has emerged: From roads, towns, bridges, and other areas covered with water and mud, the yellow jackets, bees, and other stinging insects saw their underground nests destroyed.
Increased Insect Attacks and Medical Response
It has led to increased incidences of swarms that sting persons, and in response, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has reportedly sourced Benadryl and epinephrine injections in order to fulfill the requests of various hospitals, emergency medical workers, and doctors, according to the associated press.
Humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief said it has distributed more than 9,000 EpiPens through community health centers, clinics, and pharmacies serving the mountains of Western North Carolina.
“With every disaster, we get requests for EpiPens, but this one is definitely an outlier,” managed Direct Relief’s chief pharmacy officer Alycia Clark. While many of the cases are related to bee stings, Clark said in an interview with the AP most of the people receiving the stings are electricians working to repair the power supply and other outdoor personnel.
Allergic Reactions
Pharmacists in the state can also give limited supply for those who already have allergy medicines; the state will allow consumers to purchase epinephrine injections over the counter, the AP added.
Despite the fact that the majority of people are not able to be allergic to stings by bees and other insects, some of them can have a severe allergic reaction, which can result in anaphylaxis and lead to breathing problems, tongue and throat swelling, weak pulse, and unconsciousness.
In these cases, epinephrine should be given immediately. When stung more than a dozen of times, build-up of the venom in the body leads to dizziness, fever, convulsions, or vomiting.
Some of the steps to prevent an attack include wearing a long-sleeved, light-colored top made from smooth material and refraining from using perfume, scented soap, or deodorant.
What precautions should people take to ensure they are not attacked?
If there is only one of them around, don’t try to run away; just freeze up. Don’t wave your hand in the air like a mosquito swarm. But if several are stinging, the specialists recommend getting inside as soon as possible or switching to the shadow area because bees, primarily after the sting, produce some kind of pheromone attracting other bees, as reported by HealthDay.