Kenn Mingus knew something was dreadfully wrong 10 minutes after fire ants bit him.
"My lips became numb; I had labored breathing, felt dizzy, and then I passed out," Mingus said. "I was rushed to the emergency room. After that experience, I thought I was going to have to live indoors for the rest of my life."
Dr. Dave Khan, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, said people allergic to insect venom often experience similar or worse reactions if stung again. For those sensitive to fire-ant venom, immunotherapy can be the answer.
Mingus, 52, started receiving monthly injections that introduced small amounts of purified ant venom extract into his system to decrease his reaction to fire-ant venom.
"Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, boosts the immune system's tolerance to fire-ant venom, so reactions to subsequent stings are reduced from 55 percent to less than 4 percent," Khan said.
Each fire ant can inflict seven to eight stings and the aggressive and territorial species may attack with little warning. Their venom contains a high concentration of toxins that initially cause a burning sensation.
"People who are stung by fire ants usually develop an itchy bump that turns into a pustule within 12 to 24 hours," Khan said. "But for those who are hypersensitive to fire-ant venom, a sting may set off severe allergic reactions, such as hives, difficulty breathing or loss of consciousness."
After tests confirmed that he was allergic to fire ant venom, Mingus received injections in increasing doses until an effective maintenance dose was reached. This build-up phase usually takes six months, but Mingus opted for "rush immunotherapy," which shortened it to two days. For the next three to five years, Mingus will receive monthly shots. Mingus' 16-year-old son, Kyle, also tested positive for fire-ant hypersensitivity and has started immunotherapy.
"With immunotherapy I feel protected," Kenn Mingus said. "It's given me the confidence to go outside without the fear of having a life-threatening reaction from fire-ant bites."
Fire ants -- first accidentally imported into the United States on cargo ships more than 80 years ago - have risen from a mere nuisance to a significant public health problem, Khan said.
"Fire ants are the most common cause of allergic reactions to stinging insects in Texas," Khan said. "In a national survey of fatal reactions to fire-ant stings, Texas had the highest number of deaths."
According to the Department of Agriculture, fire-ant colonies rapidly spread through commercial shipments of grass sod and ornamental plants and now infest all or part of the southern United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Khan said there are practical measures people can take to avoid fire ant stings: Don't go outdoors barefoot or wearing sandals; wear gloves and protective footwear while gardening or landscaping; don't intentionally disturb fire ant mounds; be careful in picnic areas, along roadsides, hiking or near refuse containers; and treat home areas with bait insecticides to kill active mounds and prevent development of new ones.
Anyone seeking more information on fire-ant allergies can call the Texas Allergy & Immunology Society at 1-888-451-9752.
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