An elderly man has been found dead after he suffered more than 100 bee stings during a visit to his family.
Joao Elias Severino Filho collapsed in a garden in the town of Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Sao Paulo State.
He was found by a neighbour who immediately called an ambulance. However, paramedics had to declare the 84-year-old Brazilian dead. It is understood Joao suffered an anaphylactic shock caused by the high dose of bee venom in his body.
An autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death of the married dad of three, according to police chief Valdir Alves de Oliveira.
Experts at the Mayo Clinic, a renowned American medical research institution, described anaphylaxis as “a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.”
They explained: “It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you are allergic to.”
The Mayo Clinic scientists added: “Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock – blood pressure drops suddenly and the airways narrow, blocking breathing.”
Symptoms reportedly include a skin rash, nausea and vomiting.
The Mayo Clinic researchers warned: “If anaphylaxis isn’t treated right away, it can be fatal.”
