Lyme disease: recognition and management for emergency nurses

Can Bee Venom Be Used as Anticancer Agent in Modern Medicine?

Honey bee venom in its composition contains many biologically active peptides and enzymes that are effective in the fight against diseases of various etiologies. The history of the use of bee venom for medicinal purposes dates back thousands of years. There are many reports in the literature on the pharmacological properties of bee venom and/or its main components, e.g., anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial or neuroprotective properties. In addition, both crude venom and melittin exhibit cytotoxic activity against a wide range of tumor cells, with significant anti-metastatic activity in pre-clinical studies. Due to the constantly increasing incidence of cancer, the development of new therapeutic strategies in oncology is a particular challenge for modern medicine. A review paper discusses the various properties of bee venom with an emphasis on its anticancer properties. For this purpose, the PubMed database was searched, and publications related to "bee", "venom", "cancer" from the last 10 years were selected.

Nurses' perceptions of climate sensitive vector-borne diseases: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Nurses are well positioned to play an integral role in the mitigation of climate change and climate-driven vector-borne diseases, however, they lack awareness and knowledge about their role. The purpose of this scoping review was to map existing literature on nurses' perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with vector-borne diseases, specifically Lyme disease and West Nile virus.

DESIGN

A scoping review was conducted using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. CINAHL, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Premium, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, and Web of Science were searched for English-language publications. The PRISMA-ScR was used. After initial screening as per study protocol, a total of 33 items were reviewed independently by four reviewers.

RESULTS

Thirty-three articles, including seven sources from grey literature, met the criteria for this scoping review. Results were mapped according to the five domains of the Guidelines for Undergraduate Nursing Education on Climate-Driven Vector-Borne Diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from the review indicate that nurses play a role in climate-related health effects and should be knowledgeable about vector-borne diseases. However, scant literature exists on nurses' knowledge, perceptions, attitudes toward vector-borne diseases, and practice readiness, signifying a need for further research on this emerging topic.

Antimicrobial Properties of Apis mellifera's Bee Venom

Bee venom (BV) is a rich source of secondary metabolites from honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). It contains a variety of bioactive ingredients including peptides, proteins, enzymes, and volatile metabolites. The compounds contribute to the venom’s observed biological functions as per its anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The antimicrobial action of BV has been shown in vitro and in vivo experiments against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The synergistic therapeutic interactions of BV with antibiotics has been reported. The synergistic effect contributes to a decrease in the loading and maintenance dosage, a decrease in the side effects of chemotherapy, and a decrease in drug resistance. To our knowledge, there have been no reviews on the impact of BV and its antimicrobial constituents thus far. The purpose of this review is to address the antimicrobial properties of BV and its compounds.