Scorpions, known for their extremely harmful stings, have become the deadliest venomous animals in Brazil. Their numbers have surged and their range has expanded due to rapid urbanization and global warming.
Thiago Chiariello, the coordinator of anti-scorpion serum production at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, said in an interview with AFP that higher temperatures affect "the metabolism of these animals, making them more active, resulting in increased feeding and reproduction."
Inside the Institute’s laboratory, hundreds of scorpions are housed in containers and plastic boxes. Their venom is collected to produce a serum to be distributed across Brazil, which has a population of 212 million.
According to the health ministry, over 200,000 scorpion stings were reported in Brazil last year, marking a 15% increase from 2022. On average, around 550 stings occur daily.
The yellow scorpion, Tityus serrulatus, is one of the most common venomous species in Brazil. Notably, this species consists solely of females and reproduces asexually.
Scorpions have surpassed snakes as the most dangerous venomous animals in Latin America’s largest country, as they are smaller and better adapted to urban environments. In 2019, snake bites resulted in 155 fatalities in Brazil, while scorpion bites led to 95 deaths, according to the Health Ministry’s data. However, in 2023, this trend reversed: scorpions caused 152 deaths, surpassing snake-related fatalities by 12.
Cockroaches
Paolo Goldoni, a biologist at the Butantan Institute, said, "They are distributed over larger areas." Unlike other animals, urbanization promotes the proliferation of scorpions, including some non-venomous species, by driving away their natural predators. Chiariello explained, "Some birds and lizards that eat scorpions in nature do not venture into cities."
Another factor contributing to scorpions' urban presence is the abundance of cockroaches—one of their preferred food sources—thriving in Brazil's warm urban environments. Chiariello cautioned, "You have to take precautions, such as avoiding leaving garbage around."
The mission of Chiariello's team is to carefully guide the scorpion's stinger with forceps into a small container to collect the venom. This venom is injected into horses, which are more resilient and produce more antibodies than humans. The horse's blood is then processed to obtain the final product, the serum, according to Goldoni.
Saving Lives
Chiariello emphasized that "the serum is the only way to save lives," noting that a yellow scorpion sting can be fatal for the elderly or children weighing less than 20 kilograms.
In 2023, over 11,000 people received doses of anti-scorpion serum in Brazil, primarily in densely populated areas in the southeast. Goldoni warned that scorpion venom contains "a huge amount" of toxic elements, which can lead to "an increase in blood pressure and heart or lung complications."
The institute consistently receives new samples of scorpions to meet the rising demand for serum. The biologist confirmed, "The number of deaths would be much higher if there were a shortage of serum."
