A woman in Georgia has died after accidentally stepping over a fire ant hill close to her home.
Woman Dies Due to Fire Ant Allergy
According to Newsweek, Cathy Weed had a severe allergic reaction that reportedly came after she stepped over an ant hill on June 24. According to her family, she ended up passing away before she could even get treated.
She was a mother to a 15-year old son, who plays baseball for Mountain View High School. The son's fellow members from the baseball team attendedthe wake of his mother's tragedy, per the New York Post. Zuhera Waite, a friend, mentioned to WSAZ that Cathy was always smiling and cheerful. Waite shared that Cathy cheered on each team member, not just her son.
The coach of the team, Jason Johnson, explains that they did not hesitate to extend help to Cathy's son and give him support and love. KKTV adds that the community at Mountain View was able to raise over $4,000 for the bereaved family.
The medical examiner is still in the process of determining the official cause of Cathy's death, WSAZ further explains.
In 2018, Cathy shared an upsetting snap of herself on Facebook after she had a severe fire ant allergic reaction while Epipen was short. She expresses what could happen if an ant gets her while she is not in town, adding that Benadryl does not touch it.
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Venomous Fire Ants
Newsweek explains that fire ants are stinging ones that typically live in mud molds on the ground. They can be spotted across several states in the US and can be invasive at times. Though they are among the most common types of ants that can be found in Georgia, they are not native to the state.
USA Today adds that these year-round creatures are usually more prevalent during fall and spring.
Fire ants latch onto their victims using their strong jaws. They then inject venom to humans repeatedly using their stingers. Sting symptoms include itches, burning sensations, and rashes.
For most people, the bite of fire ants is not as painful as a bee sting. In most cases, these bites lead to redness and swelling.
However, things could end up dangerously different for those with a fire ant allergy. In such cases, stings may lead to anaphylaxis, which is a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction that may take place within seconds of minutes of allergen exposure. Such reactions require immediate medical attention, which is typically done through the epinephrine hormone. This treatment can be brought around within Epipen.
According to Wizzie Brown, a pest management specialist from the Texas A&M University, the most effective way to kill a mound of fire ants is the use of a fire ant bait.
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