Venom researchers have determined that larger scorpions are less deadly, setting the stage for better treatments for scorpion stings.
may not be the most beloved of the adventure series, but it did get at least one thing right: “When it comes to scorpions,” the titular adventurer quips, “the bigger, the better.” Now, Indy has the scientific evidence to back him up. Venom researchers have determined that larger scorpions are indeed less deadly, setting the stage for better treatments for scorpion stings.
“This is an excellent study,” says Bryan Fry, a venom researcher at the University of Queensland, St. Lucia, who was not involved with the work. “It is a very rigorous interrogation of an age-old question.” Scorpions sting more than 1 million people a year and kill more than 3000. Usually, the victims don’t know what kind of scorpion nabbed them, so doctors have to guess about the best way to treat these stings.
A scorpion’s toxin can cause everything from intense pain and numbness to muscle spasms, drooling, and an irregular heartbeat. Sedatives can help with muscle spasms, and medication can treat the pain. In some cases, doctors administer costly antivenom, but it can cause vomiting, fever, and rashes. And, despite treatment, some stings can still be deadly, especially if the victim has an allergic reaction. “Scorpions are a huge medical issue across the globe,” Fry says.
In the new study, Kevin Healy, an ecologist at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and colleagues combed the scientific literature for data on the body and claw size, claw and tail shape, and toxicity of as many of the 2500 species of scorpions as possible. Though in the end they analyzed only 36 species, those covered the gamut, from the walnut-size Mexican scorpion (
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