A man has died after being attacked by a swarm of bees while working on a farm in Alto Paranaíba, Brazil, according to Newsweek.
The unidentified man was discovered unconscious last Sunday by a fellow farmworker, who rushed him to a local municipal emergency room. He succumbed to the stings, however, and died on Monday.
In a similar incident that took place last month in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, a farmworker identified as José Carlos Pavani was hospitalized after being stung by over a thousand bees.
"The bees were on top of him, poor thing. He fell and, unfortunately, he couldn't run," his brother José Carlos told local media, according to Newsweek. "We couldn't get close. … He had a lot of stings, but they gave him injections and he is in hospital. We'll wait, everything will be fine."
In May, another tragic event unfolded in Nicaragua in which six people, including an 8-year-old girl, lost their lives when their bus disturbed a swarm of Africanized killer bees.
The exact species of bee involved in the Brazil attack has not been confirmed, but the man was reportedly allergic to bee stings.
According to Newsweek, citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), mild allergy symptoms unrelated to life-threatening conditions can include hives, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, and swelling that occurs away from the site of the sting.
Meanwhile, severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, may manifest as swelling of the mouth or throat, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and shock.
Typically, a person can survive around 10 bee stings per pound of body weight. The average adult can handle at most around 1,100 stings.
Bees swarm in response to various triggers, including disturbances like loud noises, vibrations, or their hive being relocated. In such cases, they tend to form swarms and attack anything they perceive as a threat.