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 cartog… Show more
“…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.…”
Section: The Problem: Scorpion Envenomation In Brazilmentioning
Opportunistic scorpion species can colonize urban environments, establishing high-density communities that enhance the chances of human accidents. This scenario has been taking place in Brazil, in which some Tityus species have taken city centers, causing an explosion in the number of scorpion envenoming cases. The characteristics of this scorpionism epidemic in Brazil is discussed in the present work. The number of Brazilian scorpion stings has surpassed 120,000 cases in 2017, and has been maintained above this number ever since, representing a more than 3-fold increase in 10 years, which was higher than the number of cases for most of the neglected tropical diseases in the country. The escalation in scorpionism cases is even higher in some regions of Brazil. Fortunately, the proportion of mild cases has also increased in the analyzed period, as well as the number of victims seeking for medical attention within the first hour after the accident. The species Tityus serrulatus, Tityus stigmurus, Tityus bahiensis, and Tityus obscurus are traditionally accountable for most of the scorpion accidents in different regions of Brazil, but other species deserve to be closely watched. Despite scorpionism being a notable health problem in Brazil, accident prevention and pest control regarding this venomous animal have not been properly addressed by the scientific community nor by policy makers. Therefore, this review also aims to point possible fields of research that could help to contain the aggravation of the current scorpionism landscape in Brazil.
“…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.…”
Section: The Problem: Scorpion Envenomation In Brazilmentioning
Opportunistic scorpion species can colonize urban environments, establishing high-density communities that enhance the chances of human accidents. This scenario has been taking place in Brazil, in which some Tityus species have taken city centers, causing an explosion in the number of scorpion envenoming cases. The characteristics of this scorpionism epidemic in Brazil is discussed in the present work. The number of Brazilian scorpion stings has surpassed 120,000 cases in 2017, and has been maintained above this number ever since, representing a more than 3-fold increase in 10 years, which was higher than the number of cases for most of the neglected tropical diseases in the country. The escalation in scorpionism cases is even higher in some regions of Brazil. Fortunately, the proportion of mild cases has also increased in the analyzed period, as well as the number of victims seeking for medical attention within the first hour after the accident. The species Tityus serrulatus, Tityus stigmurus, Tityus bahiensis, and Tityus obscurus are traditionally accountable for most of the scorpion accidents in different regions of Brazil, but other species deserve to be closely watched. Despite scorpionism being a notable health problem in Brazil, accident prevention and pest control regarding this venomous animal have not been properly addressed by the scientific community nor by policy makers. Therefore, this review also aims to point possible fields of research that could help to contain the aggravation of the current scorpionism landscape in Brazil.
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