EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SCORPION ACCIDENTS IN THE AMAZON

Abstract

Introduction: Scorpion stings are the most common accident involving venomous animals in Brazil. Exogenous poisoning by scorpion toxin represents a global public health problem. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of scorpion stings in the Amazon. Methodology: Descriptive, retrospective study, carried out based on public epidemiological data. Results: From January to December 2023, Brazil registered 202,714 cases of scorpion stings with 131 deaths. Most of the accidents occurred in the cerrado, caatinga, and Atlantic forest regions. The geographic region of Brazil with the highest occurrence was the Southeast, with 93,529 cases (46.6%) and 73 deaths. The North region was in third place with 7,107 cases (8.1%). In the North region, the state of Pará was the one that reported the most (3,631 = 51.1%). Amazonas, the state that makes up this region of Brazil, was only fourth in the ranking with 578 cases (3.5%). Females were the most affected (50.13) and people with brown skin (52.3%) and ages between 20 and 29 (15.2%) who lived in rural areas (30.4%). Conclusion: In the state of Amazonas, it is still necessary to raise awareness among the population, when entering the natural habitat of these animals, about the use of protective equipment, such as long rubber boots, long-sleeved pants and blouses, shirts, essential for those who work in agriculture and have access to forests.