WEIRD SCIENCE A fatal stroke from a honeybee’s sting

BEE stings are an annoying fact of summer, but on rare occasions their venom can cause a killer stroke.

The Journal Of Neurology And Neuromedicine tells of a woman who suffered swelling after being stung on her arm, fell unconscious and began having seizures. Within hours the 41-year-old was unable to move one side of her body, and brain scans revealed multiple haemorrhages.

Doctors believe honeybee venom fatally reacted with her blood, resulting in a clot that restricted oxygen to the brain. At the same time her immune system over-reacted, firing off a flood of proteins that also triggered blood clots.