Woman dies, four in hospital after Asian Hornet attack in France raises fears of similar incidents in the UK
A 77-year-old woman has died, and four others were taken to hospital after a mass attack by Asian Hornets in France, amid growing fears that the invasive insects could spread to the UK.
The deadly incident occurred on Monday, September 23, when the group of hikers accidentally disturbed a ground nest near Pleudihen-sur-Rance (Côtes-d'Armor).
Emergency services rushed to the scene, but the elderly woman, who had been stung multiple times, went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the location. Four other members of the hiking group were also stung and taken to the hospital, with a 68-year-old woman remaining in intensive care.
The group encountered the hornet nest while following a hiking trail, which has since been closed to the public for the nest’s destruction. Local reports revealed that the same nest had attacked another resident just days earlier, leaving him stung dozens of times on various parts of his body before he managed to escape.
Alexandra Lecomte, an expert in invasive species in the region, warned: “Passing too close to a nest can cause the hornets to become agitated. We consider that a perimeter of three or four metres around a nest can be dangerous, because they are sensitive to vibrations.”
Although human fatalities from Asian hornet stings are rare, the incident has raised alarm as these hornets have become well-established in parts of the UK. Concerns have been mounting that the invasive species, which originally spread across Europe from France in 2004, may use the Channel Islands as a base to infiltrate mainland Britain.
The first sightings in the British Isles occurred in Jersey in 2016, and there have been confirmed recent sightings along the Kent coastline. Efforts continue in the Channel Islands, considered the "frontline," to stop the spread of Asian hornets and protect the native bee population, which the hornets have been decimating.
Earlier this year, there was a temporary victory in the battle against the hornets when efforts saw a significant reduction in the number of queens. However, the recent deadly attack in France has reignited fears that the dangerous insects could pose an even greater threat to the UK.