Following hornet attacks that killed 28 in Southern Shaanxi last month, BBC reports that the number of people killed by hornets has risen to 41 in northern China:
More than 1,600 people have also been injured by stings in Shaanxi province, according to China News Agency.
It says 206 people are still being treated in hospital, with 37 patients remaining in a critical condition.
Local officials have been quoted as saying that drier and warmer weather this year may have contributed to a rise in hornet numbers in the area.
Environmental activists have also blamed rapid urbanisation for worsening the problem as more rural land is swallowed up for urban development, intruding into habitats where hornets hunt and build their nests. [Source]
