Two men were bitten almost 50 times by hornets during a mountain bike ride near Roanne on Sunday August 21. Transported in absolute urgency to the hospital, they were able to return home, without sequelae.
During a mountain bike ride in the Bois de Joux in the town of Briennon in the Loire, three cyclists became the target of multiple hornets. The least affected was able to return to his home yesterday, the other two spent the night at the Roanne hospital center.
One aged 71 to be placed under simple supervision; the second, aged 58, had to be admitted to intensive care in a state of shock.
An anaphylactic shock that could have had a fatal outcome. But, treated in time with adrenaline and antiallergics, the patient was restored to his feet. The two victims left the hospital today without sequelae. The most affected victim will be monitored to determine if they triggered an allergic reaction or if the large amount of bites triggered the allergy.
Allergic shocks from immenoptarian bites are frequent: at the Roanne CH, intensive care treats several dozen a year and a single bite is enough when you are allergic, says Xavier Fabre, doctor and member of the intensive care unit.
What is rarer is this massive hornet attack. The firefighters who intervened in Briennon had never seen that. In principle, these insects do not attack passers-by without being disturbed. The nest was in a tree more than two meters above the ground.
After a mild winter, the hornets are numerous and with the drought, they lack fruit to feed themselves, explains Vincent Rossignol, a beekeeper from Roanne in Saint-Just en Chevalet. A state of stress that can explain aggressive reactions to a noise, a gust of wind, a broken branch…
Keep an eye out, because hornet nests are not always visible. And move away without running so as not to create panic and provoke the attack.
And in the event of bites, it is necessary to identify the signs of allergic reactions: swelling of the tongue and lips, breathing difficulties, nausea and vomiting… And in this case, you must call 15 urgently.