Seven persons, six of whom are children, were on Friday night rushed to a city hospital following another attack by bees at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
This newspaper understands that around 5.30 on Friday afternoon two ten-year-old boys—Andrew Rambarran and Dillon Ramlall—were disposing of old window panes on a dam close to their Lot 93 Old Road, Eccles home when a swarm of bees arose from the grass and attacked them. They ran home with the bees chasing them and this resulted in the others—including a pet dog—who were all in the yard at the time being stung also. The occupants of the house then ran inside, with the bees following, and sought refuge under mosquito nets. It was also reported that the bees were so many in number as they attacked one of the residents that she even ingested one.
Andrew’s father, Anthony Rambarran, then transported all of the bee sting victims to the Woodlands Hospital where they received treatment. In order to get out of their bee-infested house to go to the hospital, they were forced to switch off the lights and walk through the dark to the door, this newspaper was told. They said that a kitchen window was left ajar and it is believed that while they were gone, the bees made their way out of the house.
The other persons who were injured are Nikeita Ramlall, 13; Marilyn Persaud, 36; Felisha Peters, 16; Joshua Henry, 12; and Deshana Ramlall, 9. When Stabroek News visited the Woodlands Hospital on Friday night, Nikeita and Felisha were taking saline; both had sustained stings to the head, and this resulted in the former suffering from a bout of vomiting, while the latter’s face was swollen and she complained of a tummy ache. Marilyn and Deshana were also suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea and were receiving treatment in the Accident and Emergency Unit. Joshua was the first to be treated and sent away, and Andrew and Dillon soon followed. The two boys described the bees as being black and yellow striped in colour.
All of the victims from the household were later sent away from the hospital and are said to be doing fine.
A bee catcher was contacted by the family and he visited the area yesterday, and after investigating he related that from all appearances the bees have not settled back at their spot on the dam. As a result, he told the family, he would have to return to the area at a later date.
Up to press time yesterday the bees were still at large and there were several reports of other persons in the area having been stung by the odd bee over the past two days, but nothing severe.
A source told this newspaper that over the past two weeks there have been a series of bee sting cases seeking treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital, several reportedly from Berbice. The latest such case was yesterday morning.
This is the second bee attack in Eccles in two months. On September 19 Sheik Imran Hassan was attacked and killed by a swarm of Africanized bees while outside his home at Lot 238 Anaida Avenue, Eccles. The insects had reportedly come from the house next door to his, where they were said to have been for some time.
