L. De Sousa
, S. Bónoli, P. Parrilla-Alvarez
, E. Ledezma, A. Jorquera, M. Quiroga
Grupo de Biomedicina Aplicada, CICS, INDESA, UDO, Núcleo de Anzoátegui. Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. Laboratorio de Alacranología, Escuela de Medicina, UDO, Núcleo Bolívar, Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela.
Rhopalurus laticauda (Buthidae), a less dangerous scorpion species, has the widest geographical distribution in Venezuela. However, other species of the Tityus genus (Buthidae) have been considered as a major cause of envenomation. This genus has approximately 29 species in the country, some of them distributed in areas of high human population density. In general, González-Sponga (1984) has qualitatively defined five potentially dangerous endemic areas for scorpion envenoming: 1. Maracaibo and surroundings, Zulia State (habitat of Rhopalurus laticauda); 2. Ciudad Bolívar, San Félix and Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar State (Rhopalurus laticauda); 3. Táchira State (Tityus funestus and Tityus nematochirus); 4. Barcelona, Puerto La Cruz, Anzoátegui State, and Cumaná, Sucre State (Rhopalurus laticauda); 5. The central north region of Venezuela, comprising Carabobo State, north of Aragua State, Miranda State and the Federal District (Tityus discrepans). We propose the addition of a sixth endemic area located in the northeast of Venezuela, specifically in the Turimiquire mountain range and its foothills. In this study we show the epidemiological criteria to initiate the characterization of this macroregion and its boundaries. A retrospective review of the cases of scorpion stings has been made in 9 of the 10 municipalities in Monagas State and Montes municipality in Sucre State. In 1996, 252 cases with 3 deaths were reported in Monaguas State. The municipality with the highest number of cases was Maturín (n=53, 22%) and that with the lowest number of cases was Sotillo (n=5, 2%). The incidence rate of scorpion stings in the entire state was 4.9 per 10,000 inhabitants (252 cases and 512,507 inhabitants). The municipalities of Maturín (p <0.001) and Sotillo (p <0.05) had significantly lower incidence rates than those of the entire state. The municipalities of Acosta, Bolivar, Caripe and Punceres had significantly higher rates (p <0.001). The highest rate was recorded in Punceres with 25.8 cases for 10,000 inhabitants. The geographic distribution of the 1996 data indicated that the highest rates were seen in the municipalities that comprise the Turimiquire region and its foothills. This region includes the following municipalities: Acosta (20.3 cases per 10,000 inhabitants.), Caripe (12.1 per 10,000 inhabitants.), Piar (7.2 per 10,000 inhabitants) and Cedeño (4.3 per 10,000 inhabitants). Punceres (25.9 per 10,000 inhabitants), and Bolívar (14.5 per 10,000 inhabitants) are adjacent to Turimiquire. These data together with the information available about Montes municipality (Sucre State) (Turimiquire with a rate of 11.8 per 10,000 inhabitants) suggest a new endemic macroregion on the southern slope of the Turimiquire mountain range and its surroundings. The data for the rest of the region is not yet available. The Theil regression lines of the annual incidence rate calculated in 5 municipalities ( over 7 or more years) showed slopes significantly higher than 0 in the Bolívar, Piar, and Sotillo municipalities suggesting an increase in the incidence rate of scorpionism in Monagas State.
Partially financed by FUNDACITE-Anzoátegui (PI-015/95) and Consejo de Investigación UDO (CI-1-0403-0799/97).
Publication Dates
-
Publication in this collection
16 Apr 1999 -
Date of issue
1999
