Thousands of people in China are at risk of a painful death when they were stung by the most terrifying species of hornets in the world – the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia).
The Asian giant hornet is a thumb-sized wasp with an orange head, whose sting venomous sting carries a venom that destroys blood cells, which can result in kidney failure and death. The hornets are known to be the largest species hornets in the world, and has so far killed 42 people and injured 1,675 people in China.
Justin O. Schmidt, an entomologist at the Southwest Biological Institute in Tucson, warns that some people are naturally more allergic to stinging insects than others. He says that a sting can trigger an anaphylactic reaction which can cause cardiac arrest.
Over summer, the hornets attacked schools and farms across China. One victim, Mu Conghui, told Xinhua that the hornets were horrifying. “They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden, I was stung, and I couldn’t move”.Despite going through two months of 13 dialysis treatments and 200 stitches, Mu is still hospitalized and unable to move her legs that are still covered with sting holes.
Authorities in China believe that the attacks could have been caused by the unusually dry weather which makes it easier for hornets to breed. Other than that, urbanization is also said to be a contributing factor.
The Asian giant hornet scare is no stranger to Japan, as studies in Japan show that about 30 to 50 deaths are reported each year. However, most of the deaths were caused by allergies to the venom.
