Clinical and epidemiological aspects of scorpion stings in the northeast region of BrazilAspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos dos acidentes escorpiônicos na região do nordeste do Brasil
This report is a retrospective study of the epidemiology of scorpion sting cases
recorded from 2007 to 2013 in the State of Ceará, Northeastern
Brazil. Data were collected from the Injury Notification Information System database
of the Health Department of Ceará. A total of 11,134 cases were
studied and distributed across all the months of the studied period and they occurred
mainly in urban areas. Victims were predominantly 20-29 years-old women. Most victims
were bitten on the hand; and received medical assistance within 1-3 hours after being
bitten. Cases were mostly classified as mild and progressed to cure. Scorpion
envenomation in Ceará is an environmental public health problem that
needs to be monitored and controlled throughout the year.
This communication is a retrospective epidemiological study of the scorpion sting
cases recorded from 2007 to 2014 in the Rio Grande do Norte State, Northeastern
Brazil. The data was collected from the Injury Notification Information System
database of the Health Department of Rio Grande do Norte State. A total of 20,555
cases were studied. The cases were distributed over all months of the period studied
and occurred mainly in urban areas. Victims were predominantly 20-29 year-old women.
Most victims were stung on the foot and received medical care within 1-3 h after
being stung. The cases were mostly classified as mild and progressed to cure.
Scorpion stings in Rio Grande do Norte State are an environmental public health
problem that needs to be monitored and controlled throughout the year.
Accidents involving venomous animals represent an important, albeit neglected, public health issue worldwide. A descriptive study was made of snakebite cases attended and recorded between 2007 and 2010 in the health units of the municipalities of Cariri, State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. Data was collected from the Injury Notification Information System data banks of the Health Ministry and a total of 351 records of snakebite victims were reviewed. Victims were predominantly male farm workers over 50. The highest incidence of snakebites occurred in rural areas, between April and June of 2007 and 2010. Snakes of the genus Bothrops were responsible for most cases, and victims were mostly bitten on the feet. The majority of the victims received medical assistance within 1 to 3 hours after being bitten. The most common clinical manifestations were pain, edema and ecchymosis, which were mainly classified as mild or moderate. Two deaths were reported. It was concluded that there is a significant impact of seasonality in snakebites, the prevalence of attacks caused by Bothrops, affecting the lower limbs of adult male farmers in rural areas. The findings of this study may contribute to identify the conditions that increase the risk of snake attacks in the northeastern region.
In the American continent, honeybee envenomation is a public health problem due to
the high incidence and severity of the cases. Despite its medical importance, there
is a lack of epidemiological studies on this topic in Brazil, especially referring to
the Northeastern states. The present study has aimed to describe the epidemiological
features of honeybee envenomation cases in the state of the Ceará,
Northeastern Brazil, from 2007 to 2013. Data were collected from the Injury
Notification Information System database of the Health Department of
Ceará. A total of 1,307 cases were analyzed. Cases were shown to
be distributed in all the months of the studied years, reaching higher frequencies in
August. The majority of cases occurred in urban areas and involved men aged between
20 and 29 years. Victims were mainly stung on the head and torso, and they received
medical assistance predominantly within 3 hours after being stung. Local
manifestations were more frequent than systemic ones. Most cases were classified as
mild and progressed to cure. The high number of honeybee sting cases shows that
Ceará may be an important risk area for such injuries. Moreover,
the current study provides data for the development of strategies to promote control
and prevention of bee stings in this area.
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