A scorpion swarm of biblical proportions occurred Saturday in southern Egypt, killing three and injuring 453 people after heavy storms brought the predatory arachnids out of their nests and into homes, Egyptian media reported.
The stinging attacks happened in the mountainous areas of Aswan, a city on the Nile River, as the thundershowers washed away scorpions and snakes, causing them to seek shelter in homes, particularly at higher elevations.
A health official told Al-Ahram news agency that extra doses of anti-venom were provided to local medical centers and that doctors who had been administering Covid-19 vaccines were instead assisting in treating scorpion stings.
Local residents were told to avoid mountainous areas during the swarm.
The Egyptian fat-tailed scorpion is considered one of the deadliest scorpions in the world, usually preying on insects or spiders.
According to Hadassah University Medical Center, there are 1,000 known types of scorpions in the world, with 21 kinds in Israel, of which five carry poisonous venom, including fat-tail scorpions.
For treating a sting, Hadassah advises “calming the victim, immobilizing the affected limb, and quick transport to a hospital. It is also advisable to put some ice on the sting, which will alleviate the pain, and slow the progress of the venom.”
Curled from i24News
