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Scorpion envenoming in the State of Bahia: epidemiological and clinical study of the envenomings treated at the Center for Antivenom Information (CIAVE) between 1995 and 1997.

THESIS. I. Biondi-de-Queiroz submitted this dissertation for her Master of Sciences degree in Public Health publicly examined at the Department of Health at the Feira de Santana State University, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil in 1999.

Advisor: Prof. Dr. Eneida Marcílio de Moraes Cerqueira

ABSTRACT. Scorpion envenoming, common in rural areas, are displaying new features due to favorable changes in ecological conditions. This new situation increases health risks in urban areas. The high levels of scorpions in Salvador, Feira de Santana, and other municipalities have focused our attention on the study of scorpion envenomings in specific regions of the Bahia State. This study describes the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the envenomings in Bahia from 1995 to 1997. Medical records (1.163) from the Center for Antivenom Information (CIAVE) were analyzed. Bahia State was the geographical area studied, with two areas adopted to calculate the incidence rate, which were the municipalities and regions chosen by FIBGE. To calculate the incidence rate, population figures used were taken from the 1996 Population Census. The variables collected were organized into four groups: 1) time and areas; 2) etiological agent; 3) demographic variable; 4) local and systemic clinical manifestations, severity, and treatment. The results obtained in the epidemiological analysis show an incidence of 8.48/100.000 inhabitants, which points to an increase in envenoming rate of in the State of 1.3 times (58.2%). From the seven regions studied, the higher incidence was found in the Salvador area, 21.93/100.000 inhabitants. The State lethality coefficient was 1.79%, corresponding to 19 deaths, most in the rural area (55.6%). All envenomings were caused by Tityus serrulatus. The most affected age group was under 7 years old. In relation to the area, the envenomings were three times more frequent in the urban area than the rural area, with more males being affected. In both rural and urban areas, females were stung at home and males at work. The time between sting and medical assistance was greater for the urban area (73.30%). Medical assistance was obtained in 3 hours or less for 46.57% of all cases. Tityus stigmurus was the most common etiological agent followed by Tityus serrulatus. By areas, Tityus stigmurus and Tityus brazilae were responsible for the highest number of envenomings in the urban area, and Tityus serrulatus in the rural area (31.50%). Envenoming analysis in relation to age groups showed that 52.02% of the cases (605 cases) were in the economically active age group (20-59). The most affected age group was the over seven year olds, which was also the group who received less serotherapy in both rural and urban areas. Most envenomings had a severity classification of light.

The more frequent local clinical manifestations were pain and dormancy (91.4% and 67.9%, respectively) and systemic were vomiting (25.9%), sweating (14.7%), and headache (13.5%).

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

I. BIONDI-DE-QUEIROZ - Laboratório de Animais Peçonhentos e Herpetologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Campus Universitário, Km 03, BR 116, CEP 44.031-460, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil.

Fone: 55 75 224-8237 / Fax: 55 75 224-8019

E-mail: ilka@uefs.br / ibiondi@gd.com.br

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    08 Oct 2002
  • Date of issue
    Dec 2001
Centro de Estudos de Venenos e Animais Peçonhentos - CEVAP, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP Caixa Postal 577, 18618-000 Botucatu SP Brazil, Tel. / Fax: +55 14 3814-5555 | 3814-5446 | 3811-7241 - Botucatu - SP - Brazil
E-mail: jvat@cevap.org.br