Tankersley Michael S
Department of Allergy and Immunology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas 78236, USA.
Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Aug;8(4):354-9. doi: 10.1097/ACI.0b013e3283073b48.
Imported fire ants pose a real and present danger to allergic individuals living in endemic areas. This overview examines the impact of their presence, specifics of their venom and approach to the treatment of the hypersensitive individuals.
Imported fire ant sting attack rates are high in endemic areas with sensitization occurring early in life among those dwelling in these locations. Once considered an outdoor pest, sting attacks are now known to occur indoors with the very young and the very old being especially susceptible due to the decreased mobility of these age extremes. Immunotherapy with whole body extract appears efficacious with both traditional and rush schedules finding utility among allergists. Both the mobility of the populace and the portability of imported fire ants have broadened the presence of both allergic patients and the ant itself among allergists previously unfamiliar with hypersensitive patients or the imported fire ant.
Recent work has focused on achieving more rapid protection in hypersensitive patients given the high sting attack rates in endemic area with sensitization occurring early in life among those exposed to the imported fire ant.
外来火蚁对生活在疫区的过敏个体构成了切实存在的危险。本综述探讨了它们的存在所带来的影响、其毒液的特性以及对过敏个体的治疗方法。
在疫区，外来火蚁的叮咬攻击率很高，居住在这些地区的人在幼年时就会发生致敏。外来火蚁曾被认为是一种户外害虫，现在已知其叮咬攻击也会发生在室内，由于年幼和年老者行动不便，这两个年龄段的人尤其易受影响。用全身体液提取物进行免疫疗法似乎有效，传统方案和快速方案在过敏症专科医生中都有用处。人群的流动性和外来火蚁的可携带性，使得过敏患者和火蚁本身在以前不熟悉过敏患者或外来火蚁的过敏症专科医生中更为常见。
鉴于疫区叮咬攻击率很高，且接触外来火蚁的人在幼年时就会发生致敏，近期的研究工作集中在为过敏患者实现更快的保护。
