Eating bees okay for someone allergic to bees?

[icarium]

Okay... this might seem like an odd one, but I'm hoping someone can help.

I'm going to Taiwan for Lunar New Year in a few weeks and one of my friends is really into eating a lot of the bizarre cuisine that is around.  One of the dishes that we've read about and seems interesting is a dish with fried bees.

I don't know exactly what kind of bee/wasp/hornet I am allergic to, but I got stung on the arm and had a systemic reaction.  I've been told that the next sting is likely an anaphylactic reaction.

That being said, would it be safe to eat fried bees?  I don't know the preparation, but it's in a rural area so I doubt they go through the effort to remove stingers/poison sacs or anything like that.  

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

As best as I can determine, following consultation with one of my Allergy colleagues is that the venom allergens, being heat-sensitive, would likely be broken down by frying.  

However, and this is a big however, a substance called phospholipase is heat stable and so could still, at least hypothetically, remain as an allergenically active protein, even after frying.  His advice, that I myself would definitely take is, “That’s asking for trouble; I would avoid ingesting these.”

In a word, avoid eating fried bees, fried wasps or any creatures that might be even remotely related to them.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

[AllergyPA]

An anaphylactic reaction can kill you.  Skip the fried bees.  Have the Poodle Gumbo instead.   If you do not have an Epi-Pen, ask your doctor for one when you go for your pre-trip recommended immunizations, and keep it with you.  Remember, should you need the Epi-Pen, it is only a temporary solution.  You will still need to go to a hospital for definitive treatment.