Fatal royal jelly-induced asthma
Bullock, R.J.; Rohan, A.; Straatmans, J.A.
Medical Journal of Australia 160(1): 44
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-729X PMID: 8271989 Document Number: 433657
An 11-year-old asthmatic girl was administered a 10 ml (500 mg) ampoule of "double strength" royal jelly. Within 20 min she suffered an acute anaphylactic reaction with diarrhoea and bronchospasm sufficiently severe for her immediate hospitalization. She died after failure to respond to resuscitation. On questioning, it was found that she had been exposed to royal jelly on 2 earlier occasions, and following the 2nd exposure she had developed mild asthma. Details of 4 other cases of anaphylactoid reaction to royal jelly, all in females, are held in the Australian database of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. It is emphasized that royal jelly, with its very high protein content, constitutes a major and life-threatening risk to patients with a known history of asthma or related allergies.