
Ant stings have resulted in deaths in the United States. However, yearly data is not accessible.
Fire ants are of two types belonging to Solenopsis species. They are red, imported fire ant named Solenopsis Invicta, and black imported fire ant called Solenopsis Richteri.
Ants attack when they perceive a threat, and the sting of these insects causes pain. They deliver a harmful substance called venom, which contains a chemical called piperidine, into one's skin. It causes a burning sensation that subsides, and after a few minutes, a dermal flare and wheal occur. Within two hours, abscesses appear on the skin, blisters develop within four hours, and sterile pustules develop within a day and may further result in anaphylaxis.
Usually, the previously sensitized sting causes anaphylaxis. Flushing, generalized urticaria, angioedema, laryngeal edema, bronchospasm, or loss of consciousness are the symptoms. Fire ant stings are also capable of causing serum sickness, nephrotic syndrome, seizures, worsening of pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease.
According to a USA Today piece published in 2015, thirty individuals in the United States die due to ant bites each year. The most dangerous are fire ants. However, the report does not cite their sources, and the data is more than five years old. No scientific data was provided in the article.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, thousands of people are treated in hospital emergency rooms suffering from insect stings every year. But potentially life-threatening allergic reactions occur in 0.4 percent - 0.8 percent of children, and in adults, it would be 3 percent. There were at least 90-100 deaths annually due to insect sting anaphylaxis.
We conclude the judgment as unverifiable because no official reports state there are 30 deaths per year on average due to ant stings, but there are reports of people dying due to ant bites.
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