300,000 Austrians allergic to bee, wasp stings

Some 300,000 Austrians suffer from allergies to bee or wasp stings meaning their outdoor activities can be severely restricted, experts said at a press conference here Wednesday.

Dr. Stefan Woehrl from the Floridsdorf Allergy Center said many Austrians thus "restrict their leisure behavior massively" because they are afraid of being stung.

The expert said an allergic reaction is said to occur when at least two organ systems are affected, such as the skin, lungs, respiratory system, and circulatory system.

An increasing number of people have been dying as a result of such reactions to bee and wasp stings each year, although some fluctuations occur in severity from year to year, the experts said.

Dr. Gunther Sturm from an allergy outpatient clinic in Vienna said two-thirds of those with allergies experience a moderate reaction to stings, while a third respond with loss of consciousness. In worst-case scenarios, an allergic shock reaction can result in cardiac arrest and even brain damage, he said.

A correctly-administered, targeted long-term immunotherapy can, however, protect almost 100 percent of patients, Sturm said. For this, those with allergies are given small doses of insect venom each week over a 15-week period as a result of which they become more used to it and no longer react as strongly to it.

The fact that monthly treatments must be continued over a period of three to five years thereafter, however, make it too time-consuming for some people with allergies to see through to the end, despite full reimbursement for the costs available from health insurance providers, the expert said.