Epidemiological Characteristics of Scorpionism in West Azerbaijan Province, Northwest of Iran
-
Samira Firooziyan
,
Ali Sadaghianifar
,
Javad Rafinejad
,
Hassan Vatandoost
,
Mulood Mohammadi Bavani
Abstract
Background: There are four medically important scorpion species (Mesobuthus eupeus, Mesobuthus caucasicus, Androctonus crassicauda and Hottentotta saulcyi) in the West Azerbaijan Province, northwestern Iran. scorpionism is considered as a health problem in this region, because there is no information about scorpion envenomation, this study was designed to study epidemiological characteristics of scorpionism to optimize prevention and treatment of scorpion sting in northwest of Iran.
Methods: All the data from epidemiological surveys completed in West Azerbaijan hospitals over four years (2014–2017) for scorpion victims were collected. This information includes the number of victims, sex, age, signs and symptoms, site of sting, body parts of victims, history of previous sting, the condition of the patient in terms of recovery and death, and the time to receive anti venom, all data were analyzed by the Excel software.
Results: A total of 2718 cases of scorpionism were reported from March 2014 to March 2017 in the study area. The most cases occur in both sexes in the age groups of 25 to 34 years old. In urban areas 40.3% of people and in rural areas 59.7% of them have suffered. The Poldasht and Chaldoran cities, had the most and least incidence respectively.
Conclusion: In this study, the high risk areas in the case of scorpion stings were identified. Results of this study can be used to design preventive programs to educate more people about dangerous areas to prevent scorpion sting and even death.
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2. Dehghani R, Fathi B (2012) Scorpion sting in Iran: a review. Toxicon. 60(5): 919–933.
3. Mohammadi Bavani M, Rafinejad J, Hanafi-Bojd AA, Oshaghi MA, Navidpour SH, Dabiri F, Badakhshan M, Ghorbani E, Bagheri M (2017) Spatial distribution of medically important scorpions in north west of Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 11: 371–382.
4. Dehghani R, Djadid ND, Shahbazzadeh D, Bigdelli S (2009) Introducing Comp¬sobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905) scorpion as one of the major stinging scorpions in Khuzestan, Iran. Toxicon. 54(3): 272–275.
5. Dehghani R, Rafinejad J, Fathi B, Shahi MP, Jazayeri M, Hashemi AA (2017) Retrospective study on scropionism in Iran (2002–2011). J Arthropod Borne Dis. 11(2): 194–203.
6. Dehghani R, Valaei N (2005) Scorpion bite in Iran: review of the literature. Feyz. 15. 9(1): 66–84.
7. Shahi M, Rafinejad J, Az-Khosravi L, Moosavy SH (2015) First report of death due to Hemiscorpius acanthocercus en¬venomation in Iran: case report. Elec¬tron Physician. 7(5): 1234–1238.
8. Firoozfar F, Saghafipour A, Vatandoost H, Bavani MM, Taherpour M, Jesri N, Yazdani M, Arzamani K (2019 Faunis¬tic composition and spatial distribution of scorpions in North Khorasan Prov¬ince northeast of Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 13(4): 369–377.
9. Pipelzadeh MH, Jalali A, Taraz M, Pour-abbas R, Zaremirakabadi A (2007) An epidemiological and a clinical study on scorpionism by the Iranian scorpion Hemiscor¬pius lepturus. Toxicon. 50(7): 984–992.
10. Gholizadeh S, Lalehzari E, Bavani MM, Hosseini A, Khalkhali HR, Rafinejad J (2016) Bioecology and scorpion en-ven¬omation in Ramshir District, Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. Appl En-tomol Zool. 51(1): 37–42.
11. Dehghani R, Arani MG (2015) Scorpion sting prevention and treatment in an-cient Iran. J Tradi Co Med. 5(2): 75–80.
12. Ghafourian M, Ganjalikhanhakemi N, Hem¬mati AA, Dehghani R, Kooti W (2016) The effect of Hemiscorpius lepturus (Scorpionida: Hemiscor-piidae) venom on leukocytes and the leu¬ko¬cyte subgroups in peripheral blood of rat. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 10(2): 159–187.
13. Taj S, Vazirian M, Vazirianzadeh B, Bigdeli S, Salehzadeh Z (2012) Effects of cli-matological variables on scorpion sting incidence in Ramshir area south west of Iran. J Exp Zool India. 15(2): 575–577.
14. Farzanpay RA (1990) Catalogue of the scorpions occurring in Iran, up to Jan-uary 1986. Archives de l'Institut Razi, Iran Islamic Republic. 8(2): 12.
15. World Health Organization (2007) Rabies and envenomings: a neglected public health issue: report of a consultative meeting, Geneva. p. 32.
16. Kassiri H, Mohammadzadeh Mahijan N, Hasanvand Z, Shemshad M, Shemshad K (2012) Epidemiological survey on scorpion sting envenomation in South-West, Iran. Zahedan J Res Med Sci. 14 (8): 80–83.
17. Shahi M, Habibi-Masour R, Salehi M, Ghasemi-Nang M, Rafizad E, Abbasi M, Hanafi-Bojd AA (2019) Scorpions and scorpionism in Roudan County, south¬ern Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 13(4): 353–361.
18. Rafizadeh S, Rafinejad J, Rassi Y (2013) Epidemiology of scorpionism in Iran during 2009. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 7 (1): 66–70.
19. Shahi M, Moosavy SH, Rafinejad J, Zare S, Navidpour S, Madani A (2017) Ep¬idemiological and clinical aspects of scor¬pion sting among children in south part of Iran. Glob J Health Sci. 9(3): 289–295.
20. Nejati J, Mozafari E, Saghafipour A, Kiyani M (2014) Scorpion fauna and epide-mi¬ological aspects of scorpionism in south¬eastern Iran. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 4(1): 217–221.
21. Dehghani R, Vallaei N (2010) The re-view of Iranian traditional medicine vision on scorpion and scorpion sting. Res Med. 33(4): 269–279.
22. Vazirianzadeh B, Farhadpour F, Hosse-inzadeh M, Zarean M, Moravvej S (2012) An epidemiological and clini-cal study on scorpionism in hos¬pi¬tal-ized children in Khuzestan, Iran. J Ar-thropod Borne Dis. 6(1): 62–69.
23. Isazadehfar KH, Eslami L, Entezariasl M (2013) Epidemiology of Scor¬pion-ism in southwest, Iran, 2008. Iran J Im¬munol. 8(4): 54–60.
24. Vazirianzadeh B, Hossienzadeh M, Mo-ravvej SA, Vazirianzadeh M, Mosavi SA (2013) An epidemiological study on scorpion stings in Lordegan Coun-ty, south-west of Iran. Arch Razi Inst. 61(1): 71–76.
25. Nejati J, Saghafipour A, Rafinejad J, Mozaf¬fari E, Keyhani A, Abolhasani A, Kareshk AT (2018) Scorpion com-position and scorpionism in a high-risk area, the southwest of Iran. Electro Phy¬sician. 10(7): 7138–7145.
26. White J (2000) Bites and stings from ven¬omous animals: a global overview. Ther Drug Monit. 22(1): 65–68.
27. Ismail M (1995) The scorpion enven¬oming syndrome. Toxicon. 33(7): 825–558.
28. Amiri M, Lordjani N, Asgarpour H (2018) Epidemiological Study of Scorpion Sting in Lordegan City during the Years 2014–2017. J Community Health Res. 7(1): 57–61.
29. Al-Sadoon M, Jarrar B (2003) Epi¬demi-ological study of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 1997. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 9(1): 54–64.
30. Jarrar B, Al-Rowaily M (2008) Epidemi¬o¬logical aspects of scorpion stings in Al-Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 28(3): 183–187.
31. Shahbazzadeh D, Amirkhani A, Djadid ND, Bigdeli S, Akbari A, Ahari H (2009) Epidemiological and clinical survey of scorpionism in Khuzestan Province, Iran (2003). Toxicon. 53(4): 454–459.
32. Dehghani R, Valizade R, Mahmoodi S (2106) A review of the scorpion pred-ators and the introduction of Scarites subterraneus, as a new predatory of them in Iran. J Entomol Res. 40(3): 291–296.
33. Farghly W, Ali F (1999) A clinical and neurophysiological study of scorpion Envenomation in Assiut, Upper Egypt. Acta paediatrica. 88(3): 290–294.
34. Sanaei-Zadeh H, Marashi SM, Dehghani R (2017) Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of scorpionism in Shiraz (2012–2016); development of a clin¬i¬cal severity grading for Iranian scor¬pi¬on envenomation. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 31(1): 158–166.
35. Nascimento DG, Rates B, Santos DM, Verano-Braga T, Barbosa-Silva A, Du¬tra AA (2006) Moving pieces in a tax¬onomic puzzle: venom 2D-LC/MS and data clustering analyses to infer phy¬lo¬genetic relationships in some scorpi¬ons from the Buthidae family (Scorpi¬ones). Toxicon. 47(6): 628–639.
36. De Roodt AR, Garcı́a SI, Salomón OD, Segre L, Dolab JA, Funes RF (2003) Epidemiological and clinical aspects of scorpionism by Tityus trivittatus in Ar¬gentina. Toxicon. 41(8): 971–977.
2. Dehghani R, Fathi B (2012) Scorpion sting in Iran: a review. Toxicon. 60(5): 919–933.
3. Mohammadi Bavani M, Rafinejad J, Hanafi-Bojd AA, Oshaghi MA, Navidpour SH, Dabiri F, Badakhshan M, Ghorbani E, Bagheri M (2017) Spatial distribution of medically important scorpions in north west of Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 11: 371–382.
4. Dehghani R, Djadid ND, Shahbazzadeh D, Bigdelli S (2009) Introducing Comp¬sobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905) scorpion as one of the major stinging scorpions in Khuzestan, Iran. Toxicon. 54(3): 272–275.
5. Dehghani R, Rafinejad J, Fathi B, Shahi MP, Jazayeri M, Hashemi AA (2017) Retrospective study on scropionism in Iran (2002–2011). J Arthropod Borne Dis. 11(2): 194–203.
6. Dehghani R, Valaei N (2005) Scorpion bite in Iran: review of the literature. Feyz. 15. 9(1): 66–84.
7. Shahi M, Rafinejad J, Az-Khosravi L, Moosavy SH (2015) First report of death due to Hemiscorpius acanthocercus en¬venomation in Iran: case report. Elec¬tron Physician. 7(5): 1234–1238.
8. Firoozfar F, Saghafipour A, Vatandoost H, Bavani MM, Taherpour M, Jesri N, Yazdani M, Arzamani K (2019 Faunis¬tic composition and spatial distribution of scorpions in North Khorasan Prov¬ince northeast of Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 13(4): 369–377.
9. Pipelzadeh MH, Jalali A, Taraz M, Pour-abbas R, Zaremirakabadi A (2007) An epidemiological and a clinical study on scorpionism by the Iranian scorpion Hemiscor¬pius lepturus. Toxicon. 50(7): 984–992.
10. Gholizadeh S, Lalehzari E, Bavani MM, Hosseini A, Khalkhali HR, Rafinejad J (2016) Bioecology and scorpion en-ven¬omation in Ramshir District, Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. Appl En-tomol Zool. 51(1): 37–42.
11. Dehghani R, Arani MG (2015) Scorpion sting prevention and treatment in an-cient Iran. J Tradi Co Med. 5(2): 75–80.
12. Ghafourian M, Ganjalikhanhakemi N, Hem¬mati AA, Dehghani R, Kooti W (2016) The effect of Hemiscorpius lepturus (Scorpionida: Hemiscor-piidae) venom on leukocytes and the leu¬ko¬cyte subgroups in peripheral blood of rat. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 10(2): 159–187.
13. Taj S, Vazirian M, Vazirianzadeh B, Bigdeli S, Salehzadeh Z (2012) Effects of cli-matological variables on scorpion sting incidence in Ramshir area south west of Iran. J Exp Zool India. 15(2): 575–577.
14. Farzanpay RA (1990) Catalogue of the scorpions occurring in Iran, up to Jan-uary 1986. Archives de l'Institut Razi, Iran Islamic Republic. 8(2): 12.
15. World Health Organization (2007) Rabies and envenomings: a neglected public health issue: report of a consultative meeting, Geneva. p. 32.
16. Kassiri H, Mohammadzadeh Mahijan N, Hasanvand Z, Shemshad M, Shemshad K (2012) Epidemiological survey on scorpion sting envenomation in South-West, Iran. Zahedan J Res Med Sci. 14 (8): 80–83.
17. Shahi M, Habibi-Masour R, Salehi M, Ghasemi-Nang M, Rafizad E, Abbasi M, Hanafi-Bojd AA (2019) Scorpions and scorpionism in Roudan County, south¬ern Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 13(4): 353–361.
18. Rafizadeh S, Rafinejad J, Rassi Y (2013) Epidemiology of scorpionism in Iran during 2009. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 7 (1): 66–70.
19. Shahi M, Moosavy SH, Rafinejad J, Zare S, Navidpour S, Madani A (2017) Ep¬idemiological and clinical aspects of scor¬pion sting among children in south part of Iran. Glob J Health Sci. 9(3): 289–295.
20. Nejati J, Mozafari E, Saghafipour A, Kiyani M (2014) Scorpion fauna and epide-mi¬ological aspects of scorpionism in south¬eastern Iran. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 4(1): 217–221.
21. Dehghani R, Vallaei N (2010) The re-view of Iranian traditional medicine vision on scorpion and scorpion sting. Res Med. 33(4): 269–279.
22. Vazirianzadeh B, Farhadpour F, Hosse-inzadeh M, Zarean M, Moravvej S (2012) An epidemiological and clini-cal study on scorpionism in hos¬pi¬tal-ized children in Khuzestan, Iran. J Ar-thropod Borne Dis. 6(1): 62–69.
23. Isazadehfar KH, Eslami L, Entezariasl M (2013) Epidemiology of Scor¬pion-ism in southwest, Iran, 2008. Iran J Im¬munol. 8(4): 54–60.
24. Vazirianzadeh B, Hossienzadeh M, Mo-ravvej SA, Vazirianzadeh M, Mosavi SA (2013) An epidemiological study on scorpion stings in Lordegan Coun-ty, south-west of Iran. Arch Razi Inst. 61(1): 71–76.
25. Nejati J, Saghafipour A, Rafinejad J, Mozaf¬fari E, Keyhani A, Abolhasani A, Kareshk AT (2018) Scorpion com-position and scorpionism in a high-risk area, the southwest of Iran. Electro Phy¬sician. 10(7): 7138–7145.
26. White J (2000) Bites and stings from ven¬omous animals: a global overview. Ther Drug Monit. 22(1): 65–68.
27. Ismail M (1995) The scorpion enven¬oming syndrome. Toxicon. 33(7): 825–558.
28. Amiri M, Lordjani N, Asgarpour H (2018) Epidemiological Study of Scorpion Sting in Lordegan City during the Years 2014–2017. J Community Health Res. 7(1): 57–61.
29. Al-Sadoon M, Jarrar B (2003) Epi¬demi-ological study of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 1997. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 9(1): 54–64.
30. Jarrar B, Al-Rowaily M (2008) Epidemi¬o¬logical aspects of scorpion stings in Al-Jouf Province, Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 28(3): 183–187.
31. Shahbazzadeh D, Amirkhani A, Djadid ND, Bigdeli S, Akbari A, Ahari H (2009) Epidemiological and clinical survey of scorpionism in Khuzestan Province, Iran (2003). Toxicon. 53(4): 454–459.
32. Dehghani R, Valizade R, Mahmoodi S (2106) A review of the scorpion pred-ators and the introduction of Scarites subterraneus, as a new predatory of them in Iran. J Entomol Res. 40(3): 291–296.
33. Farghly W, Ali F (1999) A clinical and neurophysiological study of scorpion Envenomation in Assiut, Upper Egypt. Acta paediatrica. 88(3): 290–294.
34. Sanaei-Zadeh H, Marashi SM, Dehghani R (2017) Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of scorpionism in Shiraz (2012–2016); development of a clin¬i¬cal severity grading for Iranian scor¬pi¬on envenomation. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 31(1): 158–166.
35. Nascimento DG, Rates B, Santos DM, Verano-Braga T, Barbosa-Silva A, Du¬tra AA (2006) Moving pieces in a tax¬onomic puzzle: venom 2D-LC/MS and data clustering analyses to infer phy¬lo¬genetic relationships in some scorpi¬ons from the Buthidae family (Scorpi¬ones). Toxicon. 47(6): 628–639.
36. De Roodt AR, Garcı́a SI, Salomón OD, Segre L, Dolab JA, Funes RF (2003) Epidemiological and clinical aspects of scorpionism by Tityus trivittatus in Ar¬gentina. Toxicon. 41(8): 971–977.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 14 No 2 (2020) | |
| Section | Original Article | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/jad.v14i2.3738 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Scorpion; Scorpionism; West azerbaijan | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Firooziyan S, Sadaghianifar A, Rafinejad J, Vatandoost H, Mohammadi Bavani M. Epidemiological Characteristics of Scorpionism in West Azerbaijan Province, Northwest of Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis. 2020;14(2):193–201.
