Death Associated with Africanized Bees
Posted: April 11th, 2008, 9:59 pm
Death Associated with Africanized Bees
Incident Details Incident Type: General
Incident Status: Closed
Incident Severity: Level 1
1 - Report of a situation that could adversely impact a jurisdiction. No impacts reported, no field response necessary, continue monitoring situation. No assistance requested. ** See Note
Incident Occurred Date/Time: 04/11/2008 05:00 PM EDT
Caller:
Caller Address: email from FDEM Region
Coordinator Brett Slocum
Callback #: Time of Call: 04/11/2008 05:00 PM EDT
Caller Represents:
Comments Per press release from Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office:
"Sheriff Paul C. May is releasing the following information:
Case Officer: Detective Rick Durfee
Reference: Death/Africanized Honey Bees
On 04/09/2008 at 10:44 AM, the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center received a call for medical assistance in the Viking Properties Subdivision on 101 Ranch Road. The caller advised that a man had been stung by insects and was suffering ill effect as a result. Friends of the victim left the area and transported the victim in their vehicle towards the hospital.
The Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded to the area and met the patient at Hwy 441 N at Eagle Island Rd. The patient was so ill as to require CPR from that location to the Raulerson Hospital.
Once at the Raulerson Hospital, he was placed in the intensive care unit until he died the following day. It is suspected that the patient died of multiple bee sting wounds. Initial reports are that he was stung in excess of 100 times. The victim of this bee swarming is: (name withheld in this incident report. <SWP413>)
The Raulerson Hospital contacted the Medical Examiner’s Office who retrieved the body to conduct an autopsy.
The Medical Examiner’s Office contacted the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office for a death investigation.
The Florida Department of Agriculture sent an apiary inspector (pertaining to bees) to the scene of the attack. The location of the attack is an abandoned hunting camp in the Viking Properties subdivision, off of 101 Ranch Road. At this location, the Apiary inspector sprayed the hive to kill the queen. It should be noted that there are still a remnant amount of surviving bees still in the area that will die out over the next few days. Several of the bee carcasses were collected and brought to the Florida Department of Agriculture lab and identified, with high probability, as the Africanized Honey Bee (errantly known as the killer bees.)
The manner and cause of the death are still under investigation by Detective Rick Durfee and the Ft. Pierce Medical Examiner’s Office.
The University of Florida Agricultural Center will be preparing training in the near future for dealing with the threats of Africanized Honey Bees. The Okeechobee extension office phone (863) 763-6469.
Discussion of Africanized Honey Bees: The Africanized Honey Bee was brought to South America in a failed attempt to cross these bees with the more docile European Honey Bee common to North America. The sting of the Africanized Honey Bee is no more toxic than its European brethren. However, the African bee’s more aggressive nature results in many more stings when the insects swarm to protect the hive. These African Bees have slowly migrated from South America to North America over the last few decades. There is no way to visually identify the Africanized Honey Bee from the European Honey Bee. It is believed that Wednesday’s death is the first reported human death from Africanized Bees in the state of Florida.
The following are recommendations when encountering a hive of possible Africanized Honey Bee hive:
· Be alert to beehives locations by paying attention to flying bees and swarming behaviors.
· Avoid loud noises such as lawn equipment.
· Walk away from hive locations, keeping the noise down.
· When being attacked, Run away covering face and eyes, and find shelter (home, car.)
· Contact licensed professional exterminators, DO NOT attempt to destroy the hive (some bees are good.)
For further information on bees contact FDACS/DPI helpline (888)397-1517
Future press releases will be made by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer affairs (352) 372- 3505 ext. 102
Okeechobee County press releases will be made by Robbie Chartier, Public Information Officer Okeechobee County. (863) 763-9312, rchartier@co.okeechobee.fl.us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Sheriff’s Office has no further information at this time."