When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology

Posted by
  When Tarantula Venom Comes from a Misnamed Spider: The Importance of Taxonomic Accuracy in Theraphosid Toxinology I am very happy to share my most recent publication in Toxicon. This is a particularly meaningful publication for me because it brings together two areas that have become an important part of my work and personal interests: tarantulas and toxinology. At first glance, taxonomy and venom research may seem like two very different fields. In reality, they are closely connected. Before we can properly study the venom of a spider, we need to know which spider we are actually studying. Why the Name Matters A scientific name is much more than a label attached to an animal. It connects that animal to everything we report about it, including its biology, distribution, behavior, venom, toxins, and even its potential medical importance. When a tarantula is incorrectly identified, or when an outdated name continues to be used without considering changes in taxonomy, the problem ca...

Ischemic stroke in a 4 year child resulting from scorpion envenomation: A case report from Nepal.

Posted by

 


Ischemic stroke in a 4 year child resulting from scorpion envenomation: A case report from Nepal.

Introduction
The scorpion sting is one of the most go to forms of envenomation in countries with tropical climates. There are a variety of scorpions, and some of them have venom that could be detrimental to human beings. Non-fatal symptoms are common, which include pain, burning sensation, and change in color of the skin. Scorpion venom contains neurotoxins, which trigger the body to release endogenous catecholamines and acetylcholine. Systemic envenomation invites autonomic instability with a wide range of manifestations, including cardiovascular (hypertension, tachycardia, arrhythmias, myocarditis, distributive and cardiogenic shock), pulmonary (acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, atelectasis, bronchospasm), acute renal dysfunction, neurological emergencies (seizures, ischemia, hemorrhage, and rarely demyelination), and disseminated intravascular coagulation. A sympathetic storm may or may not follow the initial parasympathetic overdominance phase, which displays emesis, abdominal pain, excessive salivation, bradycardia, and pupillary constriction. Cerebrovascular injury in systemic envenomations is considered very odd. Globally, it has been documented in only 2% to 5% of cases of scorpionism. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
We hereby present the case of a 4 year old child with features consistent with autonomic storm following scorpion sting who later developed left sided ischemic stroke. However,he lacked features of defibrination syndrome and myocarditis. Therefore, the most speculated cause of stroke in our patient was presumed to be the autonomic storm and toxin associated vasculitis.

Sunil Bhatta, Pusp Awasthi. Ischemic stroke in a 4 year child resulting from scorpion envenomation: A case report from Nepal. Authorea. March 10, 2024. DOI: 10.22541/au.171007567.71523940/v1