Mike, This estimate seems "a bit high".  In Chapter 27 of The Hive and the
Honey Bee, 1992, page 1230, Justin Schmidt, includes a table of death
rates in the US with all deaths from all causes= 2,086,440.  deaths from
cardiovascular= 977,700; cancer=461,400; smoking 150,000; alcohol 100,000;
...animal bites = 101; lightning= 85; sports collisions= 42; insect
stings(all)=41 and honey bee stings = 17.  The percent of total deaths due
to honey bees for 1986 was .0008  .
 
You might contact Justin Schmidt to see if he has any update information
to address your question about presence of Africanized bees.
 
grins, John
John A. Skinner           218 Ellington Hall
Extension Apiculturist    University of Tennessee
[log in to unmask]          Knoxville, TN  37901   (423)974-7138
 
 
On Tue, 26 Aug 1997, Mike Rowbottom wrote:
 
> In a recent Natural History programme shown on BBC1 TV in the UK a claim
> was made along the lines " tens of thousands of people are killed
> annually by honey bees worldwide".  I find this claim difficult to
> believe.  In the programme it was put across rather sensationally, with
> ( need I say) reference to Africanised honey bees in the Americas.  If
> the claim is incorrect I would like to strike a small blow for the
> facts, and for beekeeping, by presenting a more accurate picture to the
> Programme makers.
>
> The Programme producer argues that deaths from insect stings (
> predominantly bees and wasps) are far greater than from all other
> venomous animals put together, and quotes a reference relating to
> America, North of Mexico to support this.  She then states that the
> number of deaths from snake bites alone in the world exceeds 10,000 per
> year, and putting these two statements together,  arrives at a basis for
> the claim.
>
> Does anyone have any information on the number of people worldwide that
> are killed as a result of honey bee stings?  Are there any data on death
> rates in specific countries or continents?  References to documented
> literature would be particularly helpful.
>
> Regards,
> --
> Mike Rowbottom
> Harrogate
> North Yorkshire
> UK
>