scorpion venom

scorpion venom

How much venom does it take to kill a human?

We don’t know, exactly. The only information we have on the toxicity of scorpion venom in humans is from actual stingings (you can imagine how difficult it would be to get people to volunteer for a human LD₅₀ study!). From clinical reports, there appear to be several factors that modulate scorpion venom toxicity in humans. The primary factors appear to be: 1) the toxicity of the venom of the scorpion involved; 2) the quantity of venom injected by the scorpion; 3) the size of the victim; and 4) the general medical condition of the victim.

Scorpions not considered of any medical importance normally have venoms that are of low toxicity to mice. These scorpions normally produce a localized reaction similar to that a honeybee sting. They would have to be several feet long before they could produce and inject enough venom into a person to kill them. In scorpions with higher venom toxicity, systemic reactions become more common. It is a good thing that these species are not any larger than they already are, otherwise deaths from their stings would be more common. Several factors may affect the quantity of venom injected by a scorpion.

What are the signs and symptoms of scorpion envenomation?

Venoms from scorpions produce a great variety of clinical symptoms in victims. The symptoms for any given incident vary according to several factors: species involved, toxicity of the venom, amount of venom injected, size of the victim, the victim’s overall health condition, and probably a number of other factors that vary from individual to individual that cannot be quantified. Envenomations are usually categorized into two or three levels of severity: 1) localized effects, 2) systemic effects, and 3) systemic effects with central nervous system involvement. Localized effects are common to nearly all scorpion stings regardless of the toxicity of the venom. These symptoms are restricted to the site of sting and include intense pain, minor swelling, redness or induration, numbness, tenderness, and tingling. Intense pain normally subsides within one hour, giving way to numbeness, tenderness, and tingling at the site of the sting. This normally results in the favoring of an affected limb. These symptoms normally fade after 24 hours.

scorpion venom

The scorpion’s venom is a type of neurotoxin. “Neuro” means nervous system and “toxin” means poison, so a neurotoxin is a poison that attacks

A placebo is a common tool used by researchers who want to test how well a medication works. A placebo looks like medicine, but it is neutral — which means it has no chemical effect on the person. Researchers use a placebo so that people who participate in a study don’t know if they’ve received the experimental medicine.

In fact, typically even the doctors who give the medicine don’t know if they’re giving a placebo or the real medicine.At the end of a study, since all the participants receive a similar-looking treatment, the researchers can see if the people who got the medication did better or worse than those who got the placebo.
In the Arizona bark scorpion study, eight children were given the antivenom. After only one hour, all signs of the scorpion venom were gone from their bodies. They all recovered completely within four hours of treatment. Of the seven children who received the placebo, only one recovered in four hours. That child was the oldest and heaviest participant in the study. The rest of the children required more time and more sedatives. All eventually recovered, and none of the children died.

Yes, venom from scorpions sounds scary – but a new study shows that it could also scare away rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Rats and scorpions may sound like the stuff of nightmares for some people, but a new study shows that scorpion venom may actually improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, at least in rats.