The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases最新文献

{"title":"Inflammation: improving understanding to prevent or ameliorate kidney diseases.","authors":"Sheila Marques Fernandes,&nbsp;Mirian Watanabe,&nbsp;Maria de Fátima Fernandes Vattimo","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0162","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inflammatory processes are believed to play an important role in immune response to maintain tissue homeostasis by activating cellular signaling pathways and releasing inflammatory mediators in the injured tissue. Although acute inflammation can be considered protective, an uncontrolled inflammation may evolve to tissue damage, leading to chronic inflammatory diseases. Inflammation can be considered the major factor involved in the pathological progression of acute and chronic kidney diseases. Functional characteristics of this organ increase its vulnerability to developing various forms of injuries, including acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In view of translational research, several discoveries should be considered regarding the pathogenesis of the inflammatory process, which results in the validation of biomarkers for early detection of kidney diseases. Biomarkers enable the identification of proinflammatory mediators in kidney affections, based on laboratory research applied to clinical practice. Some inflammatory molecules can be useful biomarkers for the detection and diagnosis of kidney diseases, such as neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule-1 and interleukin 18.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200162"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525891/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39660138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proteomic analysis of Red Sea <i>Conus taeniatus</i> venom reveals potential biological applications.","authors":"Maged M A Fouda,&nbsp;Mohammed Abdel-Wahab,&nbsp;Amal Mohammadien,&nbsp;Mousa O Germoush,&nbsp;Moustafa Sarhan","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diverse and unique bioactive neurotoxins known as conopeptides or conotoxins are produced by venomous marine cone snails. Currently, these small and stable molecules are of great importance as research tools and platforms for discovering new drugs and therapeutics. Therefore, the characterization of <i>Conus</i> venom is of great significance, especially for poorly studied species.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we used bioanalytical techniques to determine the venom profile and emphasize the functional composition of conopeptides in <i>Conus taeniatus</i>, a neglected worm-hunting cone snail.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The proteomic analysis revealed that 84.0% of the venom proteins were between 500 and 4,000 Da, and 16.0% were > 4,000 Da. In <i>C. taeniatus</i> venom, 234 peptide fragments were identified and classified as conotoxin precursors or non-conotoxin proteins. In this process, 153 conotoxin precursors were identified and matched to 23 conotoxin precursors and hormone superfamilies. Notably, the four conotoxin superfamilies T (22.87%), O1 (17.65%), M (13.1%) and O2 (9.8%) were the most abundant peptides in <i>C. taeniatus</i> venom, accounting for 63.40% of the total conotoxin diversity. On the other hand, 48 non-conotoxin proteins were identified in the venom of <i>C. taeniatus</i>. Moreover, several possibly biologically active peptide matches were identified, and putative applications of the peptides were assigned.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our study showed that the composition of the <i>C. taeniatus</i>-derived proteome is comparable to that of other <i>Conus</i> species and contains an effective mix of toxins, ionic channel inhibitors and antimicrobials. Additionally, it provides a guidepost for identifying novel conopeptides from the venom of <i>C. taeniatus</i> and discovering conopeptides of potential pharmaceutical importance.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20210023"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8525892/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39660140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>De novo</i> venom gland transcriptomics of <i>Calliophis bivirgata flaviceps</i>: uncovering the complexity of toxins from the Malayan blue coral snake.","authors":"Praneetha Palasuberniam,&nbsp;Kae Yi Tan,&nbsp;Choo Hock Tan","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Malayan blue coral snake, <i>Calliophis bivirgata flaviceps</i>, is a medically important venomous snake in Southeast Asia. However, the complexity and diversity of its venom genes remain little explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To address this, we applied high-throughput next-generation sequencing to profile the venom gland cDNA libraries of <i>C. bivirgata flaviceps</i>. The transcriptome was <i>de novo</i> assembled, followed by gene annotation, multiple sequence alignment and analyses of the transcripts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 74 non-redundant toxin-encoding genes from 16 protein families were identified, with 31 full-length toxin transcripts. Three-finger toxins (3FTx), primarily delta-neurotoxins and cardiotoxin-like/cytotoxin-like proteins, were the most diverse and abundantly expressed. The major 3FTx (Cb_FTX01 and Cb_FTX02) are highly similar to calliotoxin, a delta-neurotoxin previously reported in the venom of <i>C. bivirgata</i>. This study also revealed a conserved tyrosine residue at position 4 of the cardiotoxin-like/cytotoxin-like protein genes in the species. These variants, proposed as Y-type CTX-like proteins, are similar to the H-type CTX from cobras. The substitution is conservative though, preserving a less toxic form of elapid CTX-like protein, as indicated by the lack of venom cytotoxicity in previous laboratory and clinical findings. The ecological role of these toxins, however, remains unclear. The study also uncovered unique transcripts that belong to phospholipase A₂ of Groups IA and IB, and snake venom metalloproteinases of PIII subclass, which show sequence variations from those of Asiatic elapids.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The venom gland transcriptome of <i>C. bivirgata flaviceps</i> from Malaysia was <i>de novo</i> assembled and annotated. The diversity and expression profile of toxin genes provide insights into the biological and medical importance of the species.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20210024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8476087/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39491560","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isobolographic analysis reveals antinociceptive synergism between Phα1β recombinant toxin and morphine in a model of cancer pain in C57BL/6J mice.","authors":"Caio Tavares Aoki,&nbsp;Rodrigo Andrade Moura,&nbsp;Luana Assis Ferreira,&nbsp;Mariana Garcia Mendes,&nbsp;Duana Carvalho Santos,&nbsp;Marcio Junior Rezende,&nbsp;Marcus Vinícius Gomez,&nbsp;Célio José Castro-Junior","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i><i>Phoneutria nigriventer</i></i> venom contains Phα1β. This toxin and its recombinant form have a remarkable analgesic potential that is associated with blockage of voltage-gated calcium channels and TRPA1 receptors. Although morphine is a mainstay drug to treat moderate and severe pain related to cancer, it has serious and dose-limiting side effects. Combining recombinant Phα1β and morphine to treat pain is an interesting approach that has been gaining attention. Therefore, a quantitative and reliable method to establish the strength of the antinociceptive interaction between these two substances is necessary. The present study was designed to investigate the nature of the functional antinociceptive (analgesic) interaction between Phα1β recombinant toxin and morphine in a model of cancer pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Melanoma was produced by intraplantar inoculation of B16-F10 cells into the right paw of C57BL/6J mice. Von Frey filaments measured the paw-withdrawal threshold after intrathecal administration of morphine, recombinant Phα1β, and their combination. Thermal hyperalgesia was assessed using Hargreaves apparatus. The degree of interaction was evaluated using isobolographic analysis. Spontaneous and forced motor performance was assessed with the open-field and rotarod tests, respectively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Co-administration of recombinant Phα1β and morphine synergistically reverses the melanoma-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. The potency of the mixture, measured as the effective dose to reach 50% of maximum possible effect (MPE) in ameliorating mechanical hyperalgesia, was about twice fold higher than expected if the interaction between morphine and recombinant Phα1β was merely additive. Treatment with the combination at doses necessary to reach 50% of MPE caused no spontaneous nor forced motor alterations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combinatorial use of recombinant Phα1β and morphine allows significant and effective dose reduction of both agents, which has translational potential for opioid-sparing approaches in pain management related to cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20210027"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388195/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39408788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute kidney injury caused by venomous animals: inflammatory mechanisms.","authors":"Naila Albertina de Oliveira,&nbsp;Simone Cristina Cardoso,&nbsp;Dulce Aparecida Barbosa,&nbsp;Cassiane Dezoti da Fonseca","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Either bites or stings of venomous animals comprise relevant public health problems in tropical countries. Acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by animal toxins is related to worse prognostic and outcomes. Being one the most important pathways to induce AKI following envenoming due to animal toxins, inflammation is an essential biological response that eliminates pathogenic bacteria and repairs tissue after injury. However, direct nephrotoxicity (i.e. apoptotic and necrotic mechanisms of toxins), pigmenturia (i.e. rhabdomyolysis and hemolysis), anaphylactic reactions, and coagulopathies could contribute to the renal injury. All these mechanisms are closely integrated, but inflammation is a distinct process. Hence, it is important to improve our understanding on inflammation mechanisms of these syndromes to provide a promising outlook to reduce morbidity and mortality. This literature review highlights the main scientific evidence of acute kidney injury induced by bites or stings from venomous animals and their inflammatory mechanisms. It included observational, cross-sectional, case-control and cohort human studies available up to December 2019. Descriptors were used according to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), namely: \"Acute kidney injury\" or \"Venom\" and \"Inflammation\" on Medline/Pubmed and Google Scholar; \"Kidney disease\" or \"Acute kidney injury\" on Lilacs and SciELO. The present review evidenced that, among the described forms of renal inflammation, it can occur either directly or indirectly on renal cells by means of intravascular, systemic and endothelial hemolysis, activation of inflammatory pathway, as well as direct action of venom cytotoxic components on kidney structures.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"20200189"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8394371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39408789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Through DNA sensors and hidden mitochondrial effects of SARS-CoV-2.","authors":"Vitor Pedro Targhetta,&nbsp;Mariana Abrantes Amaral,&nbsp;Niels Olsen Saraiva Camara","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0183","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic brought attention to studies about viral infections and their impact on the cell machinery. SARS-CoV-2, for example, invades the host cells by ACE2 interaction and possibly hijacks the mitochondria. To better understand the disease and to propose novel treatments, crucial aspects of SARS-CoV-2 enrolment with host mitochondria must be studied. The replicative process of the virus leads to consequences in mitochondrial function, and cell metabolism. The hijacking of mitochondria, on the other hand, can drive the extrusion of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to the cytosol. Extracellular mtDNA evoke robust proinflammatory responses once detected, that may act in different pathways, eliciting important immune responses. However, few receptors are validated and are able to detect and respond to mtDNA. In this review, we propose that the mtDNA and its detection might be important in the immune process generated by SARS-CoV-2 and that this mechanism might be important in the lung pathogenesis seen in clinical symptoms. Therefore, investigating the mtDNA receptors and their signaling pathways might provide important clues for therapeutic interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200183"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8383803/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39375994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proteomic characterization of <i>Naja mandalayensis</i> venom.","authors":"Emídio Beraldo,&nbsp;Guilherme Rabelo Coelho,&nbsp;Juliana Mozer Sciani,&nbsp;Daniel Carvalho Pimenta","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong><i>Naja mandalayensis</i> is a spitting cobra from Myanmar. To the best of our knowledge, no studies on this venom composition have been conducted so far. On the other hand, few envenomation descriptions state that it elicits mainly local inflammation in the victims' eyes, the preferred target of this spiting cobra. Symptoms would typically include burning and painful sensation, conjunctivitis, edema and temporary loss of vision.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We have performed a liquid-chromatography (C18-RP-HPLC) mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-TOF/MS) based approach in order to biochemically characterize <i>N. mandalayensis</i> venom.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A wide variety of three-finger toxins (cardiotoxins) and metallopeptidases were detected. Less abundant, but still representative, were cysteine-rich secretory proteins, L-amino-acid oxidases, phospholipases A₂, venom 5'-nucleotidase and a serine peptidase inhibitor. Other proteins were present, but were detected in a relatively small concentration.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The present study set the basis for a better comprehension of the envenomation from a molecular perspective and, by increasing the interest and information available for this species, allows future venom comparisons among cobras and their diverse venom proteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200125"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8331017/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39324554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brown spider venom toxins: what are the functions of astacins, serine proteases, hyaluronidases, allergens, TCTP, serpins and knottins?","authors":"Luiza Helena Gremski,&nbsp;Fernando Hitomi Matsubara,&nbsp;Hanna Câmara da Justa,&nbsp;Zelinda Schemczssen-Graeff,&nbsp;Antonielle Beatriz Baldissera,&nbsp;Pedro Henrique de Caires Schluga,&nbsp;Isabel de Oliveira Leite,&nbsp;Marianna Boia-Ferreira,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Martins Wille,&nbsp;Andrea Senff-Ribeiro,&nbsp;Silvio Sanches Veiga","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accidents caused by the bites of brown spiders (<i>Loxosceles</i>) generate a clinical condition that often includes a threatening necrotic skin lesion near the bite site along with a remarkable inflammatory response. Systemic disorders such as hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure may occur, but are much less frequent than the local damage. It is already known that phospholipases D, highly expressed toxins in <i>Loxosceles</i> venom, can induce most of these injuries. However, this spider venom has a great range of toxins that probably act synergistically to enhance toxicity. The other protein classes remain poorly explored due to the difficulty in obtaining sufficient amounts of them for a thorough investigation. They include astacins (metalloproteases), serine proteases, knottins, translationally controlled tumor proteins (TCTP), hyaluronidases, allergens and serpins. It has already been shown that some of them, according to their characteristics, may participate to some extent in the development of loxoscelism. In addition, all of these toxins present potential application in several areas. The present review article summarizes information regarding some functional aspects of the protein classes listed above, discusses the directions that could be taken to materialize a comprehensive investigation on each of these toxins as well as highlights the importance of exploring the full venom repertoire.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200188"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8314928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39298841","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MS/MS analysis of four scorpion venoms from Colombia: a descriptive approach.","authors":"Sebastian Estrada-Gómez,&nbsp;Leidy Johana Vargas-Muñoz,&nbsp;Monica Maria Saldarriaga-Córdoba,&nbsp;Arie van der Meijden","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0173","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scorpions are widely known for the neurotoxic effects of their venoms, which contain peptides affecting ionic channels. Although Colombia is recognized for its scorpion diversity, only a few studies are available describing the venom content.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this descriptive study, we analyzed the MS/MS sequence, electrophoretic and chromatographic profile linked to a bioinformatics analysis of the scorpions <i>Chactas reticulatus</i> (Chactidae), <i>Opisthacanthus elatus</i> (Hormuridae), <i>Centruroides edwardsii</i> (Buthidae) and <i>Tityus asthenes</i> (Buthidae) from Colombia.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Each scorpion showed a specific electrophoretic and chromatographic profile. The electrophoretic profiles indicate the presence of high molecular mass compounds in all venoms, with a predominance of low molecular mass compounds in the Buthidae species. Chromatographic profiles showed a similar pattern as the electrophoretic profiles. From the MS/MS analysis of the chromatographic collected fractions, we obtained internal peptide sequences corresponding to proteins reported in scorpions from the respective family of the analyzed samples. Some of these proteins correspond to neurotoxins affecting ionic channels, antimicrobial peptides and metalloproteinase-like fragments. In the venom of <i>Tityus asthenes,</i> the MSⁿ analysis allowed the detection of two toxins affecting sodium channels covering 50% and 84% of the sequence respectively, showing 100% sequence similarity. Two sequences from <i>Tityus asthenes</i> showed sequence similarity with a phospholipase from <i>Opisthacanthus cayaporum</i> indicating the presence of this type of toxin in this species for the first time. One sequence matching a hypothetical secreted protein from <i>Hottentotta judaicus</i> was found in three of the studied venoms. We found that this protein is common in the Buthidae family whereas it has been reported in other families - such as Scorpionidae - and may be part of the evolutionary puzzle of venoms in these arachnids.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Buthidae venoms from Colombia can be considered an important source of peptides similar to toxins affecting ionic channels. An interesting predicted antimicrobial peptide was detected in three of the analyzed venoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200173"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8277192/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39207487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of climate variables on the incidence of scorpion stings in Iran for five years.","authors":"Ahmad Ghorbani,&nbsp;Behzad Mansouri,&nbsp;Masoumeh Baradaran","doi":"10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2020-0110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Although scorpionism is recorded worldwide, some regions such as Iran present a higher incidence. Due to the great prevalence of scorpion stings in Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, the present study examined the relationship between different climate parameters and the scorpion sting rate in this area from April 2010 to March 2015.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, we considered all scorpion sting cases recorded in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Data were analyzed using statistics, frequency distribution and Pearson's correlation coefficient.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 104,197 cases of scorpion stings was recorded from 2010 to 2015. The cumulative incidence of scorpion sting was 2.23%. The spatial distribution of scorpion stings showed that most cases occurred in the Dehdez district (4,504 scorpion stings/100,000 inhabitants) and the Masjed Soleyman county (4,069 scorpion stings/100,000 inhabitants). A significant association was found between climate factors (temperature, evaporation rate, sunshine duration, humidity, and precipitation) and the scorpion sting rate. An increase in rainfall and humidity coincided with a reduction in scorpion stings whereas an increase in temperature, evaporation, and sunshine duration was accompanied by a growth of scorpion stings. No significant correlation was found between wind velocity/direction and the incidence rate of stings. Moreover, the seasonal peak incidence of scorpion stings was recorded in summer (an average of 8,838 cases) and the lowest incidence was recorded during winter (an average of 1,286 cases). The annual trend of scorpion sting cases decreased during the period from 2010 to 2015.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Climate variables can be a good index for predicting the incidence of scorpion stings in endemic regions. Since they occur mostly in the hot season, designing preventive measures in the counties and districts with a high incidence of scorpion stings such as Dehdez and Masjed Soleyman can minimize mortality and other burdens.</p>","PeriodicalId":520810,"journal":{"name":"The journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases","volume":" ","pages":"e20200110"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2021-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8252957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39185373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}