بررسي كژدم زدگي و عوامل آن در استان خوزستان در سال 1382

Surveying the scorpion sting agents at Khuzestan (a province of Iran) in 2004

Background: Seven scorpion species have been reported as human envenoming in Iran. The accurate identification of scorpion sting agents may lead to a better treatment. This identification also discloses the pathophysiological basis of symptoms and gives the rational for first aids implementation. The study was performed to identify the agents of scorpion sting in south west province of Iran, Khuzestan. Materials and Methods: This descriptive research was conducted on 418 scorpions. They were scarified and preserved in ethanol (70%). The census sampling was performed and the appropriate species were assigned using all morphological criteria by key identification stereomicroscopy .The results of scorpion stung were recorded on a data sheet, classified and compared based on their species and families. Results: Results showed that 7 scorpion stungs belonged to Buthidae and Hemiscorpidae families. The recognized scoipion species during this study were as follows: Buthidae Family: Mesobuthus eupeus (91, 21.7%), Androctonus crassicauda (120, 28.7%), Compsobuthus matthiessenis (86, 20.6%), Orthochirus scrobiculosus{ 1, 0.5%), Buthotus (Hotentotta) saulcyi (14, 3.35%), Buthotus schach (1, 0-25%). Hemiscorpidae Family: (24.9%J Hemiscorpious lepturus Among 23096 scorpion stungs, the highest and lowest occurrences were in Masjed Suleiman (20.7%) and Abadan (0.31%). Conclusion: This is the first report from Iran introducing the Compsobuthus matthiesseni as the major and Orthochirus scrobiculosus as the minor sting agents. Prevention, control and treatment plan, teaching the healthcare providers and informing the community regarding the new species are suggested.