Some Epidemiological Aspects of Scorpionism in Qaenat, Iran, during 2011-2016

Introduction and purpose: Scorpion stings can threaten human health. The investigation of the epidemiologic factors affecting scorpion stings plays an important role in the prevention of this public health issue. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology of scorpionism in Qaenat city, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on all the stung people residing in Qaenat city of South Khorasan Province during 2011- 2016. The epidemiology of patients and demographic data were collected in a checklist and data were analyzed in SPSS (version 20). Results: A total of 164 cases stung by scorpion were enrolled in the present study, including 75 males (45.7%) and 89 females (54.3%). The most and least frequent cases of stung were observed among individuals within the age range of 25-34 and 55-64 years, respectively. Hands, head, and face were the most prevalent sting sites with the occur-rence rates of 56.7, 37.8, and 5.5%, respectively. Scorpion stings occurred mostly during spring and summer with the highest rate of 30% in July. Out of total cases, 46.3% were residing in urban areas and 53.7% in rural areas. Conclusion: Considering the fact that the highest occurrence rate of scorpion sting was observed in rural areas, educa-tional programs for all health and medical personnel as well as physicians of centers, promotion of public aware-ness in the city and village, improvement of places and rural roads can play an important role in the prevention of scorpionism and mortality.