Immunotherapy for hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity

Insect stings, especially by Hymenoptera of the families Apidae (the honeybee and the bumblebee), Vespidae (with the species Vespula, Dolichovespula, Vespa and Polistes), and in some regions also Formicidae (the ants), are one of the major causes for severe, generalized, immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity reactions that may be fatal. According to the registered data of the Swiss Statistical Department, 132 individuals died from Hymenoptera stings in Switzerland between 1962 and 2004, an average of three per year (Fig. 1). Extrapolation of the Swiss data (population 7.5 million) to the European Union (population 485 million), indicates about 200 yearly fatalities from Hymenoptera stings in the European Union. Government statistics in the United States show at least 40 deaths each year from insect stings, although it is likely that many others are not reported.