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Postal Carrier Hospitalized After Multiple Hornet Stings

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A west suburban mail carrier is recovering after she was stung 30 times by hornets on Tuesday.

The female postal worker was on her route at a home at 925 Dartmouth in Wheaton when the hornets attacked.

A supervisor at the scene tells WBBM that landscapers were working nearby and aggravated the nest.

U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Beverly Howard says there are ways homeowners can help keep their carriers safer.

"We reminding our customers to be aware of the safety hazards and conditions, carriers deal with on a day-to-day basis," she said. "Dog bites, making sure nests, anything that could be harmful to the carriers, are attended to."

Howard says carriers who deliver all year round face all kinds of safety hazards along their route.

"Bee and hornet stings are rare but they do occasionally happen," Howard said.

The woman was taken to Central DuPage Hospital where she is expected to recover.

No word on her identity or how long she's been with the U.S. Postal Service.

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