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Incident Record

Lino Lopez becomes first U.S. fatality attributed to Africanized honey bee stings

Officials confirmed that 82-year-old Lino Lopez died after being stung by Africanized honey bees. Secondary summaries say he was trying to remove a colony from a wall in an abandoned building on his ranch near Harlingen.

Record ID: TX-CAMERON-1993-0715
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date 7/15/1993
Location Harlingen area, TX, Cameron County, TX
State TX
Record Type Historical News Report
Trigger / Activity Bee Removal / DIY Control
Severity Fatality
Bee ID Status Confirmed Africanized
Aggression Classification Severe defensive attack

Incident Summary

Officials confirmed that 82-year-old Lino Lopez died after being stung by Africanized honey bees. Secondary summaries say he was trying to remove a colony from a wall in an abandoned building on his ranch near Harlingen.

Public-Safety Lesson

Removal attempts around established colonies can be life-threatening, especially when people approach without proper protective equipment and support.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality Yes
Human Hospitalized No
Animal Fatality No
Responder Involved No

Source Information

Source: UPI / DesertUSA historical summary

Source Strength: B