Fire Ants: A Continuing Community Health Threat in South Carolina

(Caldwell ST, Schuman SH, and Simpson WM. Fire ants: A continuing community health threat in South Carolina. J SC Med Assoc 1999; 95:231-235)

SUMMARY. Imported fire ants are now firmly established in all 46 counties of South Carolina. In 1998 there were an estimated 660,000 cases in the state of which approximately 33,000 sought medical treatment at an estimated cost of 2.4 million dollars. Residents and visitors are at risk for IFA attacks that may occur indoors as well as outdoors. While IFA sting victims in endemic areas of the state may be less likely to seek medical treatment, patients in recently infested areas seem to be more likely to seek treatment since they are relatively unfamiliar with the multiple, painful IFA stings and pustules. Citizens need to control IFA infestations around and within their homes
according to guidelines recommended by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. Regional IFA control programs were discontinued in the past because of costs and environmental chemical concerns. Obviously, we need to support ongoing research aimed at developing improved and safe strategies for the local and regional control of IFA.

Table 1 Physician Reports of Consultation and Treatment of Imported Fire Ant Stings in South Carolina, 1998
Patient Age	Total	Treatment					Outcome
		Telephone Consultation Only	Treated in Office	Treated in ER	Admitted to Hospital	Treated for Anaphylaxis	Referred to Allergist	Died
<=14	6,737	2,471	3,439	811	16	75	203	0
>=15	5,082	1,089	3,311	643	40	101	152	2
Total	11,819	3,560	6,750	1,454	56	176	355	2

 

Table 2 Results from Three Physician Surveys for Medical Consultation and Treatment of Imported Fire Ant Stings in South Carolina
Parameter	Survey Year
	1986	1990	1998
Survey population	1,996	2,224	3,368
Respondents	1,012	940	1,286
Percent response	50%	42%	38%
Total cases reported:	12,127	4,975	11,819
Telephone consultations	4,542 (37%)	NA	3,560 (30%)
Treated in office	5,469 (45%)	4,107 (83%)	6,750 (57%)
Treated in E.R.	1,994 (16%)	827 (16%)	1,454 (12%)
Hospitalized	122 (1%)	27 (1%)	56 (0.5%)
Deaths	0	1	2
Treated for anaphylaxis	190 (2%)	104 (2%)	176 (2%)
Referred to an allergist	NA	170 (3%)	355 (3%)
Cases per respondent	12	5	9
NA = question not asked in the survey