Background

Beekeepers and their families are at an increased risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis due to recurrent bee-sting exposures.

Objective

The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic features, previous history of anaphylaxis among beekeepers and their family members, and their knowledge about the symptoms and management of anaphylaxis.

Methods

A standardized questionnaire was administered to beekeepers during the 6th International Beekeeping and Pine Honey Congress held in 2018, in Mugla, Turkey. Additionally, food-service staff from restaurants were surveyed as an occupational control group about their knowledge about anaphylaxis.

Results

Sixty-nine beekeepers (82.6% male, mean age 48.4 ± 12.0 years) and 52 restaurant staff (46.2% male, mean age 40.5 ± 10.0 years) completed the questionnaire. Awareness of the terms ‘anaphylaxis’ and ‘epinephrine auto-injector’ among the beekeepers were 55.1% and 30.4% and among the restaurant staff were 23.1% and 3.8%, respectively. Of the beekeepers, 74% were able to identify the potential symptoms of anaphylaxis among the given choices; 2.9% and 5.8% reported anaphylaxis related to bee-stings in themselves and in their family members, respectively. None of the restaurant staff had experienced or encountered anaphylaxis before but 3.8% of their family members had anaphylaxis and those reactions were induced by drugs.

Conclusion

It is essential that implementation of focused training programs about anaphylaxis symptoms and signs as well as practical instructions of when and how to use an epinephrine auto-injector will decrease preventable morbidities and mortalities due to bee-stings in this selected high-risk population of beekeepers and their family members, as well as other fieldworkers under risk.

中文翻译：

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养蜂人及其家人的毒液过敏和过敏反应知识。

背景

由于反复暴露于蜜蜂蜇伤，养蜂人及其家人面临危及生命的过敏反应的风险增加。

客观的

本研究的目的是评估养蜂人及其家庭成员的人口统计学特征、既往过敏史，以及他们对过敏反应症状和管理的了解。

方法

在 2018 年在土耳其穆拉举行的第 6 届国际养蜂和松蜂蜜大会期间，对养蜂人进行了标准化问卷调查。此外，餐厅的餐饮服务人员作为职业控制组接受了调查，了解他们对过敏反应的了解。

结果

69 名养蜂人（82.6% 男性，平均年龄 48.4 ± 12.0 岁）和 52 名餐厅员工（46.2% 男性，平均年龄 40.5 ± 10.0 岁）完成了问卷。养蜂人对“过敏反应”和“肾上腺素自动注射器”的知晓率分别为 55.1% 和 30.4%，餐厅员工的知晓率分别为 23.1% 和 3.8%。在养蜂人中，74% 的人能够在给定的选择中识别出过敏反应的潜在症状；分别有 2.9% 和 5.8% 的人报告了与他们自己和他们的家庭成员被蜜蜂蜇伤有关的过敏反应。餐厅员工之前没有经历或遇到过敏反应，但他们的家庭成员中有 3.8% 有过敏反应，这些反应是由药物引起的。

结论

至关重要的是，实施有关过敏反应症状和体征的重点培训计划以及有关何时和如何使用肾上腺素自动注射器的实用说明，将降低这一选定的高风险养蜂人群体中因蜜蜂蜇伤而导致的可预防发病率和死亡率和他们的家人，以及其他面临风险的实地工作人员。