Aspectos espaciais do escorpionismo em Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

Among all bites and stings by venomous animals, scorpion stings have increased significantly in urban areas all over Brazil. Considering that Ponta Grossa is the city in Paraná State with the highest incidence of reported scorpion stings, the current study aimed to assess trends in scorpion stings based on notification records and complaints from January 2008 to December 2010. The geographic coordinates of addresses with reported scorpion stings were collected, digitized, and spatialized, resulting in a cartogram of the georeferenced scorpion stings in the city. The incidence coefficients for this period showed that Ponta Grossa had 113.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and that Colônia Dona Luiza, Neves, and Chapada were the neighborhoods with the highest rates. Investigation of determinants of scorpion stings used visual and statistical analysis, indicating wooded or green areas, water mains, and the sewer system as the main correlated variables.

Scorpion envenomation in Brazil: Current scenario and perspectives for containing an increasing health problem

“…The “mixed” population seems to be the most hardly hit by scorpionism, in a consistent tendency through the years, as it represents the majority (around 60%) of the scorpionism victims ( Fig 2C ). This higher incidence among the “mixed” population can be related to the higher social vulnerability of this group, which results in worst habitational conditions, lower access to water, sanitation, and proper waste management, leading to higher exposure to vectors, including scorpions [ 50 ]. It is important to underline that, even though the Indigenous population accounts for less than 1% of SINAN reported scorpion accidents, a study made with an indigenous community in the state of Acre (North) found that 14% of them had already been stung by scorpions at least once in their lifetime.…”