In Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil, a tragic incident unfolded last week when a three-year-old girl lost her life after being stung by a scorpion. The venomous creature had crawled under her clothing while she was asleep, leading to a fatal sting that resulted in her death despite immediate medical intervention.
The young victim, Maria Fernanda Brito da Silva, was rushed to the Hospital Regional de Mato Grosso do Sul in Campo Grande following the incident. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, which included administering antivenom antibody therapy, Maria succumbed to a cardiac arrest in the intensive care unit on October 1. The scorpion had stung her on September 25 at her residence in Ribas do Rio Pardo.
The city officials of Ribas do Rio Pardo expressed their deep sorrow over the incident. Maria’s mother, Vanessa Ramirez da Silva, recounted the horrifying moment when she discovered the scorpion on her daughter’s back. She described the creature as large and shared the traumatic memory of her daughter pointing out the scorpion on her mother’s shirt after she had tried to remove it from her back.
The incident took a turn for the worse when Maria began vomiting, prompting a neighbor to rush the family to the hospital. This is not the first scorpion encounter for the family, as both Maria’s uncle and her five-year-old brother had previously been stung by scorpions.
The yellow scorpion, or Tityus serrulatus, is considered the most dangerous scorpion in South America. According to the local health department, there have been 38 reported scorpion stings in the city since the beginning of the year, surpassing last year’s total of 33. The most recent case involved a five-year-old boy, Pyetro Gabriel Arguelho, who died after being stung by a scorpion hiding in his shoe.
The escalating number of scorpion attacks in Ribas do Rio Pardo is a growing concern. The local health department and residents are urged to take necessary precautions to prevent further incidents. The tragic loss of young lives underscores the urgency of this public health issue.