First ant allergy clinic for Victoria

Jack jumper ants with their venomous sting have some Victorians with severe allergies living in fear - with reactions causing anaphylaxis and even death.

But a new Jack Jumper Ant Clinic at Monash Health launched on Thursday will deliver a lifesaving jack jumper ant venom immunotherapy program for the first time in Victoria.

Until now, the closest such program was in Tasmania, where the ant is responsible for more severe allergic reactions than bee stings.

Some 500 people in Victoria are believed to be allergic to the ant's sting, its venom is one of the most powerful in the insect world.