Clinical complications in envenoming by Apis honeybee stings: insights into mechanisms, diagnosis, and pharmacological interventions

Front Immunol. 2024 Sep 18:15:1437413. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1437413. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Envenoming resulting from Apis honeybee stings pose a neglected public health concern, with clinical complications ranging from mild local reactions to severe systemic manifestations. This review explores the mechanisms underlying envenoming by honeybee sting, discusses diagnostic approaches, and reviews current pharmacological interventions. This section explores the diverse clinical presentations of honeybee envenoming, including allergic and non-allergic reactions, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnosis to guide appropriate medical management. Mechanistic insights into the honeybee venom's impact on physiological systems, including the immune and cardiovascular systems, are provided to enhance understanding of the complexities of honeybee sting envenoming. Additionally, the article evaluates emerging diagnostic technologies and therapeutic strategies, providing a critical analysis of their potential contributions to improved patient outcomes. This article aims to provide current knowledge for healthcare professionals to effectively manage honeybee sting envenoming, thereby improving patient care and treatment outcomes.

Keywords: Africanized bee; bee sting; bee venom; clinical envenoming; clinical management; honeybee; venomous animals.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bee Venoms* / adverse effects
  • Bee Venoms* / immunology
  • Bees / immunology
  • Humans
  • Insect Bites and Stings* / diagnosis
  • Insect Bites and Stings* / immunology
  • Insect Bites and Stings* / therapy

Substances

  • Bee Venoms

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The APC was funded by FAPESP Proc 2021/11936-3 (RF). We are thankful to the Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES) for the scholarship n° 88887.674376/2022-00 (JC) and 88887.826358/2023-00 (DA), and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, São Paulo Research Foundation), scholarships to JC n° 2022/16060-1, to AP n° 2023/09921-3, FAPESP Process 2021/11936-3 and 2023/01554-1 (RF). We also thank the The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) scholarship to MP n° 305778/2023-4 and to AP n° 151190/2023-2, and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM), scholarship to FC n° 01.02.016301.01070/2023-13. RF is a CNPq PQ1C fellow researcher 303224/2018-5 and CNPq PQ1D research fellow n° 301608/2022-9. This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001.