Doctor warns of dangers of bee attacks after Harlan County death

HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — The Harlan County coroner has confirmed that a 59-year-old man died Monday night after being attacked by a swarm of bees.

The coroner hasn’t released the victim’s name but said he died after moving a bag of potting soil from his porch; the bees had a nest inside the bag.

“It’s an issue with allergic reactions, where your body has a hypersensitivity to bee stings, and if they do, then even a single bee sting can be fatal,” said FOX 56 Chief Medical Contributor Dr. Ryan Stanton. “I mean, what happens is that when a bee stings, it sends out pheromones warnings to the rest of the hive of an attack.”

The Harlan County coroner said the victim’s family tried lifesaving measures until first responders arrived, but they were unable to revive him. Stanton said it’s uncommon for a bee sting to be fatal unless you have a bee allergy.

“It’s incredibly unusual to have a death and somebody doesn’t have hypersensitivity because the bee sting itself, for most bees, it’s not toxic; it’s just painful. very painful. So, the question is whether, you know, the potential of hypersensitivity under or an underlying medical condition because of the stress and the pain associated with it can have a significant impact on the body,” Stanton said.

Stanton said that even when you least expect it, bees can be dangerous.

“So even if it’s under 55, if it’s raining or it’s dark, if you disrupt the nest, there could be some bad outcomes,” Stanton said.

The coroner didn’t identify the type of bee that attacked the man, but many types of wasps and yellow jackets build their nests in dirt and are aggressive when disturbed.

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