I am allergic to bee stings.
A-pi — two syllables, stress on first. 'Punture' — pun-TU-re. 'Sting' and 'injection' are both 'puntura' in Italian.
Tell doctors, campers, outdoor guides, and anyone you spend time with outdoors in Italy. Carry your EpiPen visibly in summer.
'Punture di api' = bee stings. 'Api' = bees; 'vespe' = wasps; 'calabroni' = hornets. In Italy, wasp and hornet stings are actually more common triggers of anaphylaxis than bee stings. 'Immunoterapia allergologica' (venom immunotherapy) can desensitise patients — available from Italian allergy centres, highly effective.
Sono allergico alle vespe e porto sempre l'adrenalina.
I am allergic to wasps and always carry adrenaline.
Wasp allergy — more common than bee allergy in Italy
Ho già fatto l'immunoterapia per il veleno di api.
I have already had immunotherapy for bee venom.
Venom immunotherapy — monthly injections for 3-5 years, highly effective
Se mi punge un'ape, iniettate questo.
If a bee stings me, inject this.
Instruct bystanders to use your EpiPen — show them how before outdoor activities
Venom immunotherapy ('immunoterapia con veleni di imenotteri') is fully covered by the Italian SSN for patients with documented systemic reactions to bee or wasp stings. Italian allergy centres offer this treatment — monthly subcutaneous injections for 3-5 years, achieving 95% protection. In Italy, Calabrone ('calabrone') stings can cause severe reactions — they are common in northern Italian forested areas in autumn.