Epidemiologia descritiva dos acidentes com escorpiões no município de Porto Nacional, Tocantins.

Abstract

Scorpions are venomous invertebrates from the Arachnid class, accountable for mild, moderate and severe accidents, possibly causing death in extreme cases. Scorpionism cases have increased in proportions that deserve attention from the public agencies, especially in the tropical countries, including Brazil. Therefore, this work aimed at characterizing the epidemiological profile of scorpionism in Porto Nacional, Tocantins, through the execution of a descriptive study of scorpion accidents in the municipality from 2018 to 2022. The scorpions found in Tocantins, Brazil, are usually from the species Opisthacanthus cayaporum, Tityus confluens, and Jaguajir agamemnon; in general, the incidents are predominantly mild and moderate, following a pattern of local symptoms (local pain and edema). Scorpion occurrences have an urban tendency and usually happen in the subject’s residency. For that reason, individuals who spend more time in that place, such as housewives and students, have a bigger chance of being stung by those animals. The epidemiological profile traced in this study for Porto Nacional is according to the pattern found for Palmas and the state of Tocantins.