Elderly Calif. man stung by bees more than 400 times, survives

(CBS) What's it like to be stung by a killer bee? A 95-year-old California man found out the hard way when he walked into a swarm of the Africanized honey bees - and was stung more than 400 times.

Louis Todero, of Redondo Beach, was hospitalized but faring well after the August 24 attack, the Los Angeles Times reported. Officials suspect the bees that stung Todero along a Redondo Beach street had been stirred up by an exterminator, who was trying to destroy a hive located on an apartment roof.

Speaking of Todero, Sgt. Phil Keenan, a spokesman for the Redondo Beach Police Department, told the paper, "The man just happened to be in the area when the bees attacked." Todero was stung on "every exposed inch" of his body, he aded.

A single bee sting causes pain but not much more - and generally doesn't require medical attention. Multiple stings are a different story. The accumulation of venom can cause nausea, headache, vertigo, a feeling of faintness, fever, and convulsions, according to the Mayo Clinic. They are generally a medical emergency for seniors like Todero, as well as for children and people with heart or breathing problems.

About three percent of people who are stung by a bee or other insect develop a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat or tongue, nausea, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.

People who experience these symptoms need urgent medical care. In addition, they should consider carrying an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) and wearing a medical identification bracelet or necklace indicating the allergy, the CDC recommends.

What can be done to avoid bee stings in the first place? Wear light-colored clothing that covers as much of the body as possible, and don't use any scented product that might attract bees, such as perfumed soap, shampoo, deodorant, or perfume.

The Mayo Clinic has more on bee stings.