1990 South Carolina Physician Survey of tick, spider and fire ant morbidity.

A population of 2,366 primary care physicians in South Carolina was surveyed by mail to estimate the number of cases of insect morbidity treated in 1990. A response rate of 42.3 percent was obtained. Cases reported totaled 414 for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 334 for Lyme disease, 143 black widow and 478 brown recluse spider bites and 4,975 fire ant stings. These are counts of cases from a mail survey, not from a research-based study. Five deaths were also reported; two for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, two due to black widow spider bites and one fire ant anaphylaxis.