Scorpions in Egypt have stung three people to death while injuring more than 500 people according to reports. The incident has occurred in the southern city of Aswan after recent thunderstorms caused thousands of scorpions to come out in the open.
Local media has reported three deaths due to scorpion bites, however the Acting Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said, “503 residents in Aswan got antidotes for scorpion bites … there were no deaths from the bites,”. Khan further said that there was enough anti-venom in the hospitals of Egypt, with Aswan Governorate having 3,350 doses.
The mountainous region of Aswan witnessed heavy rains and thunderstorms on Friday forcing the scorpions out of their nests. Ministry of Health and Population in Aswan informed the press that 89 cases were admitted in Aswan University Hospital and receiving treatment while 118 people were in Kom Ombo Central Hospital and the remaining injured people of Aswan were in the hospitals of Drau, Nasr al-Nuba, Edfu, and Abou Simbel.
A health official told Al-Ahram news agency that additional doses of anti-venom were provided to medical centres in villages near mountains and deserts. Scorpions have regularly washed into the streets and homes during heavy rains in the mountainous areas of Egypt.
Notably, the fat-tailed scorpions found in Egypt were among the most dangerous scorpions in the world. Black fat-tail scorpions’ venom can kill humans in under an hour.
Symptoms of a scorpion bite include difficulty breathing, muscle twitching and unusual head movements. The Anti-venom which is used as a preventative measure before symptoms start to show can also be effective after the symptoms start to worsen.
