Inter-individual variability in equine antibody responses to African snake venoms follows heavy-tailed distributions with implications for antivenom production

  Inter-individual variability in equine antibody responses to African snake venoms follows heavy-tailed distributions with implications for antivenom production Abstract Variability in the antibody response of horses used for snake antivenom manufacture is well recognized, yet its statistical structure and implications for industrial productivity remain poorly characterized. In this study, we quantified antivenom antibody titers by ELISA in a cohort of 14 horses immunized with venoms from the clinically most important snakes in sub-Saharan Africa. To integrate antibody levels with plasma availability, we calculated the Cumulative Plasma Productivity (CPP) by converting individual plasma volumes into titer-corrected equivalents and sequentially pooling these volumes according to their corrected contribution. Distributional analysis revealed right-skewed, heavy-tailed patterns better approximated by a log-normal model than by a strict Pareto (power-law) form, with approximately 20–3...

Spatial Analysis of Scorpion Accidents in Brazil: Its Relation to Climate and Urbanization


 

Spatial Analysis of Scorpion Accidents in Brazil: Its Relation to Climate and Urbanization


Abstract. This essay has the objective of performing a spatial analysis and of identifying spatial pattern configurations of scorpion accidents, in order to assist in the implementation of projects and interventions for the prevention and control of areas infested by venomous animals. Between the data surveys and statistical data bank organizations we can quote the Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde - DATASUS (Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System), agency of the Secretaria de Gestão Estratégica e Participativa do Ministério da Saúde (Office of Strategic and Participatory Management at the Ministry of Health), in the years of 2019 and 2020, for the Brazilian territory. The modeling and data collection were developed, and organized into a geographic database, exploratory data analysis, spatial analysis, as well as the production of thematic maps, with identified spatial patterns. As a result a systematized set of thematic maps was obtained which presents the distribution of scorpion-caused accidents. Finally, a geographic analysis was conducted in order to analyze the data and results found, as well as the information conveyed in terms of demographic factors. It was found then a certain concentration of cases, which can generate a relationship between tropical climates and with the distribution of urbanized areas.


Gardim, G. S., Antonio, A. C. P., and Pugliesi, E. A.: Spatial Analysis of Scorpion Accidents in Brazil: Its Relation to Climate and Urbanization, Adv. Cartogr. GIScience Int. Cartogr. Assoc., 4, 7, https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-adv-4-7-2023, 2023.