This report is a retrospective study of the epidemiology of scorpion sting cases
recorded from 2007 to 2013 in the State of Ceará, Northeastern
Brazil. Data were collected from the Injury Notification Information System database
of the Health Department of Ceará. A total of 11,134 cases were
studied and distributed across all the months of the studied period and they occurred
mainly in urban areas. Victims were predominantly 20-29 years-old women. Most victims
were bitten on the hand; and received medical assistance within 1-3 hours after being
bitten. Cases were mostly classified as mild and progressed to cure. Scorpion
envenomation in Ceará is an environmental public health problem that
needs to be monitored and controlled throughout the year.
In the American continent, honeybee envenomation is a public health problem due to
the high incidence and severity of the cases. Despite its medical importance, there
is a lack of epidemiological studies on this topic in Brazil, especially referring to
the Northeastern states. The present study has aimed to describe the epidemiological
features of honeybee envenomation cases in the state of the Ceará,
Northeastern Brazil, from 2007 to 2013. Data were collected from the Injury
Notification Information System database of the Health Department of
Ceará. A total of 1,307 cases were analyzed. Cases were shown to
be distributed in all the months of the studied years, reaching higher frequencies in
August. The majority of cases occurred in urban areas and involved men aged between
20 and 29 years. Victims were mainly stung on the head and torso, and they received
medical assistance predominantly within 3 hours after being stung. Local
manifestations were more frequent than systemic ones. Most cases were classified as
mild and progressed to cure. The high number of honeybee sting cases shows that
Ceará may be an important risk area for such injuries. Moreover,
the current study provides data for the development of strategies to promote control
and prevention of bee stings in this area.
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