Giant hornet kills 42 in China, leaves over 1,600 injured

Beijing, Oct 4: A big wasp with an orange head has stung 42 people to

in

besides injuring over 1,600 in the last three months. The tragic incident has occurred in three cities in Shaanxi province since July, local authorities said. Thirty-seven people remained in a critical state.

The wasp, known as the Asian giant hornet (scientific name: Vespa mandarinia), has a venomous sting that destroys blood cells causing death. But even a bigger danger of the venom is that it can create to a deadly allergic reaction, leading to cardiac arrest, said medical practitioners.

The tragic incident has occurred in three cities in Shaanxi province since July

The giant hornets, the largest hornet species found on this planet, are found in east and southeast Asia, and particularly in countries like China, Korea, Japan, Nepal and India.

These creatures extend between 3.5 and 3.9 centimetres in length and have a black tooth used for burrowing. The queens are even bigger in size. They feed their offsprings the larvae of other insects.

Human sweat, alcohol and sweet smells attract these hornets.

OneIndia News