Epidemiology of the injury with venomous animals in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast of Brazil

Epidemiologia dos acidentes com animais peçonhentos no estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Nordeste do Brasil

This report is an investigation of the epidemiological features of injuries with venomous animals in the Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeastern Brazil, from 2007 to 2014. A total of 30,429 cases were analyzed. Cases were distributed over all months of the period studied and occurred mainly in urban areas. Scorpion stings showed the highest percentage of cases, but the chance of death among snakebites was higher. Envenomation predominated in females with age between 20 and 49 years old. Children and elderly showed a higher chance of death. Most victims were bitten on the extremities of the limbs and received medical care within 0-1 hour after being bitten. The main local and systemic symptoms reported were pain and headache, respectively. Cases were mostly classified as mild and progressed to cure. Few victims show local and systemic complications. The high number of accidents with venomous animals shows that Rio Grande do Norte may be an important risk area for such injuries. Furthermore, this study provides data for the development of health actions to promote control and prevention of these injuries in this region.

Key words
Venomous animals; Envenomation; Public health