venom

Common causes of anaphylaxis include foods (peanut, fish, egg, legumes) and preservatives (metabisulphites), insect venoms (bees, wasps, hornets, fire ants), latex, medications (antibiotics, especially beta lactams, vaccines, muscle relaxants, steroids, insulin) and subcutaneous immunotherapy preparations.

For example, as a general rule I order IgE protein-specific tests for the five common flying insect venoms, because most children cannot tell if a wasp, hornet, or bee stung them.

Individuals suspected of having IgE-mediated allergy to aeroallergens and/or insect venoms were recruited prospectively from July 2001 to December 2001 from all those presenting to the Allergy Unit of the Department of Dermatology and Allergy of the Technical University of Munich.

Insect venoms are available for the treatment of allergies to honey bee, yellow jacket, hornet and wasp.

Some allergens are more commonly associated with anaphylaxis than others--for example, certain insect venoms and drugs such as penicillin and, among foods, fish, peanuts, nuts, eggs and seeds.