A farmer in the Brazilian state of São Paulo has been hospitalized after receiving over a thousand bee stings.
Luís Antônio Pavani, 63, was attacked while working at his farm at the beginning of this week, Brazilian news outlet Globo reported.
After hours of rescue attempts, he was finally rushed to hospital, where his condition is now stable. He remains sedated.
The exact species of bee responsible for the attack is unknown, but multiple species can become aggressive when provoked or threatened.
A beekeeper was called to assist after it proved impossible to safely rescue the victim, sub-lieutenant of the local fire department, Giuliano Tavares, told Globo.
The victim's brother, José Carlos Pavani, told Globo that while he was not there when the attack occurred, he knows that his brother "didn't even have time to run."
"The bees were on top of him, poor thing. He fell and, unfortunately, he couldn't run," José Carlos told the news outlet. "We couldn't get close…He had a lot of stings, but they gave him injections and he is in hospital. We'll wait, everything will be fine."
It is rare for bees to attack a person unless their hive has been disturbed. In Luís Antônio's case, it is not clear what caused them to swarm the farmer.
Bee venom contains proteins, enzymes, and peptides. Once this venom is inside the body, it targets the immune system.
A single bee sting can prove fatal in extreme cases, although one sting is not usually dangerous to most people. The majority of stings tend to result in mild symptoms, which may include a burning pain in the sting area, itchiness and slight swelling.
Multiple stings, like the farmer suffered, can be life-threatening and a person can usually only survive up to 10 bee stings per pound of their body weight, according to the USDA.
If a person is stung more than a dozen or so times they may start suffering various symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
A man died after being attacked by a swarm of bees in Argentina, local media reported last month.
The individual—a Brazilian identified only as Marcos—was attacked near the city of Bernardo de Irigoyen in the northeast of the country.
The man was working with a colleague on a farm when the incident occurred. The colleague was injured in the attack.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
