Fatal Wasp Sting with Pre-Existing Undiagnosed Diabetes and Hypertension

The venomous creatures which are responsible for causing death in human beings are Hymenopteras (bees, wasps, and ants), snakes, spiders and scorpions. Among the Hymenopteras, bee sting is more common than wasp sting but the clinical features are similar. Apart from the bodily features which differentiates honey bees form wasps one can also identify the species from the sting history. Honey bees leave behind their barbed stinger in the victim's body and eventually die by evisceration, whereas wasps can sting repeatedly without leaving behind its stinger on the victim's body. Although wasp sting is a rare occurrence, it is not so rare an incident in the rural and forest areas. Local manifestations following stings are common and deaths in this case are mostly due to anaphylactic shock. Non-anaphylactic causes of death are mainly attributed to multi organ failure and acute renal failure and histopathological examination suggest acute tubular necrosis secondary to haemolysis, rhabdomyolysis and direct venom toxicity.