South America hosts a number of medical important scorpions, mainly in the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Buthidae) and knowledge about the biology and distribution of these species is important so the we can prevent and reduce the negative impact scorpions have on the human population.
Jonas Gama Martins and several co-workers have put together "a review" summing up most of the knowledge that is available for Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843). This species is distributed in Brazil and French Guiana and is known to cause both. mild, moderate and serious symptoms in humans.
The present study sums up information about taxonomy, distribution, habitat, epidemiology of sting cases, reproduction for this species. Treatment of sting cases is also discussed and especially the challenges of producing an effective anti-venom for this species.
Abstract:
Tityus obscurus has caused mild, moderate and severe accidents of medical relevance in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Tityus obscurus has sexual dimorphism although males and females have uniform black coloration. In the Amazon, one of the habitats of this scorpion is seasonally flooded forests (igap´os and v´arzeas). However, most stings occur in terra firme forest areas (non-flooded region), where most rural communities are located. Adults and children stung by T. obscurus may experience an “electric shock” sensation for more than 30 h after the sting. Our data shows that people inhabiting remote forest areas, including rubber tappers, fishermen and indigenous people, with no access to anti-scorpion serum, use parts of native plants, such as seeds and leaves, against pain and vomiting caused by scorpion stings. Although there is a technical effort to produce and distribute antivenoms in the Amazon, many cases of scorpion stings are geographically unpredictable in this region, due to the lack of detailed knowledge of the natural distribution of these animals. In this manuscript, we compile information on the natural history of T. obscurus and the impact of its envenoming on human health. We identify the natural sites that host this scorpion in the Amazon, in order to warn about the risk of human envenoming. The use of specific antivenom serum is the recommended treatment for accidents involving venomous animals. However, atypical symptoms not neutralized by the available commercial antivenom are reported in the Amazon region. Facing this scenario, we present some challenges to the study of venomous animals in the Amazon rainforest and possible experimental bottlenecks and perspectives for establishing a method aimed at producing an efficient antivenom.
Reference:
Martins JG, de Castro Figueiredo Bordon K, Moreno-González JA, de Almeida BRR, Pardal PPO, Lira AFdA, et al. On the noxious black Amazonian scorpion, Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Taxonomic notes, biology, medical importance and envenoming treatment. Toxicon. 2023;228:107125. [Subscription required for full text]
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