Can You Become Immune to Fire Ants?

Several different species of ants have been known to kill humans. These include the African driver ant Siafu, which kills infants. The Lasius niger queen has been known to live for twenty to thirty years. Its queens inhabit fixed nests.

Fire ants are common pests in the southeastern United States. These ants are territorial and aggressive. They sting animals, including humans, lizards and livestock. Their venom contains high concentrations of toxins. It causes inflammation and swelling. People who are allergic to fire ant venom may develop life-threatening reactions. They can experience swelling, difficulty breathing and stomach cramps.

Researchers have been studying the immune response to fire ants. They believe that the ants have developed a second immune system. They also believe that this immune system is capable of distinguishing the poison from the healthy ants.

The researchers believe that ant queens are repeatedly exposed to the same pathogens. They also believe that the queens may transmit their resistance to other nestmates.

In order to study the immune response to fire ants, researchers took samples of draining popliteal lymph nodes. They isolated the cells, and they counted the eosinophils within the cells. The researchers found that these cells were more active than normal.

The researchers found that the immune system responded to the ants’ venom by recruiting eosinophils to the peritoneal cavity. They also found that the ants’ venom was able to induce a lymph node response. The response was measured as the percentage of eosinophils in the peritoneal cavity.