During a heavy rainstorm in Aswan, Egypt over the weekend, the city's deadly fat-tailed scorpions scuttled out of their drenched hiding places and found new shelter in people's homes. The venomous guests then turned on their human hosts, sending more than 500 people to the hospital.
Symptoms from the scorpion stings, according to those hospitalized, included "severe pain, fever, sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle tremors, and head twitching," says Aljazeera. But, although the fat-tail is among the deadliest scorpions in the world, none of the patients died thanks to the hospitals' readily available anti-venom.
From BBC:
The hail and thunder storm in the area near the River Nile on Friday was particularly violent.
Scorpions are regularly washed into the streets by heavy rain, while snakes have also been disturbed.
Extra doses of anti-venom have been provided to medical centres in villages near mountains and deserts, a health official told Al-Ahram news agency.
Doctors have been pulled away from giving vaccinations to treat scorpion stings, the official added. …
People have been urged to stay at home and avoid places with many trees.
Egypt is home to fat-tailed scorpions that are among the most deadly in the world. Venom from a black fat-tail can kill humans in under an hour.
Unrelated to the scorpion infestations, three people died from the storm, but details weren't disclosed.
