Climate Change, Scorpion Ecology, and Envenomation

Abstract

Every year, more than 1 million cases of scorpion envenomation are reported worldwide. Scorpions are thermophilic organisms. They are sensitive to weather and climate conditions, in such a way the ongoing trends of increasing temperature and more variable weather could lead to scorpionism spreading. There has been considerable debate as to whether global envenomation will be impacted by climate change which has focused on snake and spider envenomation risk. This debate didn't give enough interest to scorpion stings and its burden risks, in spite their widespread potential effects in many regions. Here, the authors review how climate and climate change may impact scorpion activity as well as scorpion envenomation. They contrast ecological and behavioral characteristics of these arthropods, and how weather, climate, climate change, and socioeconomic factors may have very different impacts on the spatiotemporal occurrence and abundance of scorpions, and the resulting scorpion envenomation.

Spatial Analysis in Areas with High Occurrence of Accidents Caused by Tityus serrulatus and Tityus bahiensis (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Brazil

“…Situations of this nature are characteristic of certain regions of Brazil, Mexico, and northern Africa. 20 With regard to the characterization of UPAs with the highest occurrence of scorpion accidents (Table 2), we observed a greater influence of environmental variables related to green areas in UPA-06, UPA-03, and UPA-02 and related to hydrography in UPA-06 and UPA-03. Regarding the anthropic variables, squares and leisure areas in the city were more closely related to the occurrence of scorpionism in UPA-02 because of high human activity in these public places, lack of continual maintenance, and frequent dumping of urban waste.…”

“…Situations of this nature are characteristic of certain regions of Brazil, Mexico, and northern Africa. 20…”