Scorpion Envenoming as an Emerging Public Health Problem in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Midwest Brazil: Involvement of Tityus confluens and the Need for a Panregional Evaluation of Available Antivenoms.

Abstract

This contribution highlights the emergence of a newly endemic region for scorpion envenoming in South America, covering eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, and the midwestern Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. These areas have not historically been known to harbor life-threatening scorpion species. Tityus confluens, a parthenogenetic species of medical significance in Argentina, has been identified in severe and lethal human cases in Bolivia and Paraguay. Given that the clinical use of scorpion antivenom preparations in the region has often lacked preclinical data and considering the significant burden of scorpion envenoming, we propose a panregional evaluation of available anti-Tityus antivenoms. This evaluation, along with interdisciplinary efforts at a multinational scale to control scorpionism, aims to determine their true neutralization capacity and potential clinical efficacy against known culprits in the Southern Cone of South America and other regions endemic for scorpion envenoming on the continent.