A total of 248 patients with systemic reactions to Hymenoptera envenom
ation were studied. There were 138 adults and 110 children. Twenty-eig
ht of these 248 (11.3%) had family members with histories consistent w
ith Hymenoptera anaphylaxis. These included five mothers and sons, two
sister pairs, three pairs of sister-brother, one pair brother-brother
, and one pair father-daughter. In one extended family, a father, moth
er, son, and mother's sister had Hymenoptera sensitivity. Ninety-six c
onsecutive allergic patients without Hymenoptera sensitivity served as
controls, and of these, 3.1% had family members with Hymenoptera sens
itivity. The occurrence of Hymenoptera sensitivity in families of pati
ents with Hymenoptera sensitivity is statistically different from our
controls (11.3% vs 3.1%, p = 0.0195). There appears to be a hereditary
aspect for Hymenoptera sting sensitivity.