Clemmer D I, Serfling R E
South Med J. 1975 Sep;68(9):1133-8. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197509000-00017.
Although the imported fire ant is a known rural problem, the problem it may pose to urban dwellers has not been documented. A telephone survey of 240 households selected by a probability sample of an upper middle class suburb of New Orleans was carried out to ascertain the experiences of residents with fire ants from June to August 1973. Overall, ant stings were reported for 29% of the study population, with sting rates of 55% among children under 10 years old. Among those stung, at least minimal allergic reactions were reported for 17%, and 4.4% required medical consultation. Of households with outdoor premises, 55% reported fire ant infestation, 86% of these used pesticides for fire ant control, and few felt that community assistance was needed for private property. Half of the respondents, however, favored a community control program for public grounds. These data may provide a basis for decision as to the need for community efforts in fire ant control.
尽管外来火蚁是一个众所周知的乡村问题，但它可能给城市居民带来的问题尚无文献记载。1973年6月至8月，我们对新奥尔良一个中上层阶级郊区通过概率抽样选出的240户家庭进行了电话调查，以确定居民遭遇火蚁的经历。总体而言，29%的研究对象报告被蚂蚁叮咬过，10岁以下儿童的叮咬率为55%。在被叮咬者中，17%报告至少有轻微过敏反应，4.4%需要就医咨询。在有户外场地的家庭中，55%报告有火蚁侵扰，其中86%使用杀虫剂控制火蚁，很少有人认为私有财产需要社区援助。然而，一半的受访者赞成针对公共场所的社区控制计划。这些数据可为决定是否需要社区努力控制火蚁提供依据。
