A plea for help from the hymenopterists!
 
I recently received a call from a resident MD concerning a patient that he
had treated who had a severe bacterial infection associated with a bumblebee
sting. This apparently is not an isolated occurrence; there have been others
reported. He is asking for help regarding literature which might contain a
survey of any bacteria associated with vespids, apids, or bombids.  He plans
to publish this case history and needs some basic literature on the bee
flora.  I have done some general searches online with our available
resources, but did not find anything other than a few specialized papers on
honeybees - nothing of a general nature.  He knows the medical and clinical
literature, but would like a lead into the entomological literature.
 
Can anyone provide a lead into this literature if there is any?
 
Please respond directly to me, as I am not a member of this list.
 
Thank you.
 
Tim
Everett D. (Tim) Cashatt, Ph.D.
Curator of Zoology, Illinois State Museum
phone: 217-782-6689
fax:   217-785-2857
email: [log in to unmask]