MedUNAB (Dec 2002)
Aspects toxinológics, clinical and epidemiological of the poisoning produced by the scorpionTityus fuhrmanni Kraepelin
Abstract
With the aim to determine the toxinologic, clinical and epidemiological features of scorpion stings and of experimental envenoming induced by T. fuhrmanni, a study was performed during one year in a sample of 9% of thehouses (180) and of the population of the area (719 inhabitants) from El Volador hill and its contiguousneighborhoods San Germán and El Volador, Medellín.Gathering of alive specimens (128) and venom collect wereincluded for the experimental study. The dispersion rate forT. fuhrmanni was 100% for the study area, with high infestation of houses located on the hill and in the neighborhood San Germán (100% and 32,3%, respectively).There were 32 stings by T. fuhrmanni during one year, 7(21,9%) in children, 46,9% at El Volador hill and 31,2% atthe neighborhood San Germán, for sting rates of 83% and3,9%, respectively. Eighteen (56,3%) of the stings were inside of the dwellings mainly on a hand (31,3%), head or neck(18,8%) and during the night or in the morning (62,5%).Twenty nine (90,6%) of the cases had mild envenomation, moderate in 3 children (9,4%) who had systemic signs(generalized sweating, abdominal pain). There were neithersevere cases nor patients admitted to the hospitals. Tityusfuhrmanni venom yield was 0,56 ± 0,27 mg with an i.p. DL50 of 79,2 μg (3,9 mg venom/kg) in mice (18-20 g). The animals presented sialorrhea, piloerection, drowsiness, generalized sweating, tachypnea, cyanosis, ataxia and seizures before expiring. The rapid onset (10-15 min) of the envenoming signs in mice as well as fast melioration (2 hours) in the survivors, allow us to conclude that the venom is of fast absorption, distribution and elimination.
