Council worker’s life saved after allergic reaction to wasp sting

A COUNCIL worker has told how his life was saved after he suffered an extreme allergic reaction to a wasp sting.

Marc Gabriel, 39, is having treatment at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust to protect him against future stings after his collapse from anaphylaxis.

Mr Gabriel said wasps swarmed out of the ground when his lawnmower clipped a nest as he worked at Hedon Road cemetery, Hull.

After a sharp pain in his neck, he was overcome by an intense feeling that his life was in danger, common among people in anaphylactic shock.

He rushed for help and collapsed on the doorstep of the nearest house where, by chance, the occupant had an oxygen cylinder to help Mr Gabriel before paramedics arrived.

He was given shots of adrenaline and monitored in hospital until he was well enough to go home.

Now Mr Gabriel is on a three-year immunotherapy programme at the trust to build up his resistance to wasp and bee stings. He said: “I started out by getting an injection with a tiny amount of wasp venom but now, I’m getting the equivalent of two wasp stings in an injection every four weeks.

“My arm goes red still but the reaction is nothing like as bad as it used to be. I run away as soon as I see a wasp now but, hopefully, this treatment will protect me in the future.”

Nurses at Castle Hill Hospital treat people with potential fatal allergies to wasp and bee stings at a dedicated clinic.

Clinical nurse specialist Jackie Moor said: “When we discuss immunotherapy with people, we take into account the severity of their reaction, other medical history, what they do for a living and the likelihood of them being exposed to future risk.

“It’s a three-year course of treatment and injections are weekly to start with then build up over time to every four to six weeks. It impacts on their lives because they can be here for up to two hours with every appointment so they have to be committed and have very supportive employers.

“But it can give them vital protection against life-threatening reactions in the future.”