Never underestimate the power of the lowly scorpion. Mexico is said to be world leader in the number of people bitten every year by these dangerous creatures and Jalisco provides its share of cases.
Around 30 people die from scorpion bites each year in Jalisco, according to state health authorities. Small children and seniors are the most vulnerable.
Get to a doctor
In case of a scorpion sting, the best thing is to get to a doctor as fast as possible. Effective antidotes are available but must be applied promptly.
Scorpions are prevalent in Mexico’s Pacific-coast states, especially from Sinaloa to Oaxaca, but are also found in Durango, Morelos, Guanajuato, Puebla, Estado de Mexico and elsewhere. Scorpions vary in the toxicity of their bite, but all must be considered dangerous.
Physicians generally uses antihistamines or large doses of cortisone to treat victims. Antihistamines have the advantage of producing a sedative effect. One Guadalajara doctor recommends extreme care in the use of Alacramyn, a drug that came on the market at the beginning of the 1990s. She says she rarely uses it because it cannot be administered twice to the same person; the second time the patient can have “a terrible reaction.”
For people living in high-risk areas, it is a good idea to have antidotes and disposable syringes on hand, as they may be unavailable when most needed. These medicines should be prescribed and applied by trained medical personnel. Although there is less risk of scorpion stings in Guadalajara than at Lakeside, they can occur anywhere.
In Jalisco the risk of being bitten is highest in late fall when farmers burn over the sugarcane fields. This drives the scorpions into residential areas and makes them irritable.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a scorpion sting include pain at and around the sting site; nausea; tingling in the throat or a feeling of having hair in it; excessive saliva; difficulty in swallowing and visual impairment.
Small children who are unable to explain what they feel can be a problem. When bitten, they generally get restless, move around a lot and their eyes may roll. Scorpions are common at beaches, like to hide in the dark places and often crawl into slippers, swimsuits or other clothing.