Red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) : frequency of sting attacks on residents of Sumter County, Georgia
Adams, C.T.; Lofgren, C.S.
Journal of Medical Entomology 18(5): 378-382
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2585 PMID: 7299792 Document Number: 180254
A survey of the human sting attack rate of the red imported fire ant, S. invicta, on a sample population in Sumter County, Georgia, USA, was conducted over a 12-mo. period. Seventy-seven families (310 individuals) initially participated in the program, but dropouts reduced the average study population to 272 individuals/mo. A total of 213 sting attacks were recorded for 95 individuals. A majority (179) of these were recorded for rural residents. The greatest contact occurred from April-Sept. with the total sing attacks ranging from 18-35/mo. The highest sting attack rate occurred in persons under 20 yr of age (50%); the number of stings declined with increased age. Females reported being stung at a slightly higher rate than males. Two individuals (1%) classified their sting reactions as severe, 26 (12%) as moderate and 183 (87%) as mild.