BEIJING - Authorities say that death toll from an unusual spate of hornet attacks in central China has reached 41 people.
The Shaanxi provincial government said Wednesday the attacks had plagued not only the city of Ankang, where 19 died as reported by the official Xinhua News Agency, but had killed 22 others in two adjacent cities.
All told, 1,600 people have been injured, and 37 of them are in critical or serious condition in hospitals.
The provincial government says it has mobilized a special medic team and trained more medical personnel to treat victims.
It says hornets mate and migrate in September and October when they are most aggressive in behaviour. Local officials have also said weather changes may have contributed to the ferocity of attacks.
