Scorpion swarm in Egypt kills 3, injures hundreds

Attacks occur in mountainous areas of Aswan as thundershowers and subsquent flooding of nearby Nile wash away scorpions and snakes, causing them to seek shelter in higher elevations
Ynet|
A massive scorpion swarm on Saturday in southern Egypt left three dead and 453 wounded after heavy storms brought the predatory arachnids out of their nests and into homes.
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  • The attacks occured in the mountainous areas of Aswan, a city on the Nile River, as the thundershowers washed away scorpions and snakes, causing them to seek shelter in homes, particularly at higher elevations.
    2 View gallery
    A black fattail scorpion
    A black fattail scorpion
    A black fat-tailed scorpion
    (Photo: AP)
    A health official told Al-Ahram news agency that extra doses of anti-venom have been provided to local medical centers and that doctors who had been administering COVID-19 vaccines were instead assisting in treating scorpion stings.
    Local residents were told to avoid mountainous areas during the swarm.
    The Egyptian fat-tailed scorpion is considered one of the deadliest scorpions in the world, usually preying on insects or spiders.
    2 View gallery
    The Egyptian city of Aswan
    The Egyptian city of Aswan
    The Egyptian city of Aswan
    (Photo: Gettyimages)
    According to Hadassah University Medical Center, there are 1,000 known types of scorpions in the world, with 21 kinds in Israel, of which five carry poisonous venom, including fat-tail scorpions.
    For treating a sting, Hadassah advises "calming the victim, immobilizing the affected limb, and quick transport to a hospital. It is also advisable to put some ice on the sting, which will alleviate the pain, and slow the progress of the venom."

    i24NEWS contributed to this article
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