[Mortality related to honey-bee stings in Mexico from 1988 to 2009].

BACKGROUND Honeybee stings can cause toxic and allergic reactions that may lead to severe symptoms, and sometimes to death. Mexico is the third worldës honey country exporter and sixth producer. Due to the arrival of Africanized bees into Mexico in 1986, the National Program for Control of Africanized Bee (NPCAB) was created, in order to reduce the socioeconomic and sanitary impact from the new bee species. OBJECTIVE To report deaths related to honey-bee sting in Mexico, from 1988 to 2009. METHODS Reports gathered from offices of the National Program for the Control of Africanized Honey-Bee throughout the country, were used to show the number of deaths related to honey-bee stings which occurred in Mexico from 1988 to 2009. RESULTS People suffering from multiple honey-bee stings were reported in all the states of the country. Between 1988 and 1998 there were 360 honey-bee related accidents, involving over 5000 people. From 1988 to 2009 there were 480 demised persons with an annual average of 21.8. Regarding age, people over 50 years were the most affected ones. The largest number of fatal cases, 340, occurred from 1990 to 1999, with an annual average of 34, and between 2000 and 2009, the number of cases decreased to 118. CONCLUSIONS There was an average of 21 annual death cases related to honey-bee stings from 1988 to 2009. Toxic reactions caused by multiple stings are the most likely cause of death in the majority of cases. Fatal cases occurred mainly in people older than 50 years. There was a decrease in the mortality rate associated to honey-bee stings in the last decade.