A rare but life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction. Symptoms may appear quickly and include difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat or
other parts of the body, rapid drop in blood pressure, dizzi
ness, or unconsciousness. Anaphylaxis can be triggered by
foods, drugs, insect stings, or exertion.
(source: AIDSinfo)
a severe and rapid and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reaction to a substance (especially a vaccine or penicillin or shellfish or insect venom) to which the organism has become sensitized by previous exposure
