In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions

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  Photo Credit: Le Parisien In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions The passing of Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) is a deeply felt loss for those of us who share an interest in the study of scorpions and other arachnids. Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to documenting and preserving arachnological knowledge, contributing valuable work on scorpion taxonomy, distribution, and bibliography. His careful attention to the literature helped bring clarity and organization to a field whose history spans centuries and many languages. Gérard was also closely associated with the journal Arachnides , which became an important outlet for sharing research, faunistic records, and historical notes within the arachnological community. Through this work, he helped ensure that observations and studies—large and small—were preserved and made accessible to others with similar scientific interests. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Gérard was a humble and gen...

Scorpion sting envenomation: should it be considered a neglected tropical disease?

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Scorpion sting envenomation: should it be considered a neglected tropical disease?

Abstract

At least 2772 species of scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones Koch, 1837) have been described.1 Of these, only 104 species (3.8%) are medically relevant.2 Mexico has the highest biodiversity, with 12% of all scorpion species worldwide.3,4 Other countries with a high incidence of scorpion sting envenomation include Brazil, Iran and Morocco2,5–7 (Table 1). Despite the high incidence and the disproportionate number of cases in marginalized areas of the world, scorpion sting envenomation is not formally recognized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by the World Health Organization (WHO).8 However, snakebite envenomation is an official NTD according to the WHO, and PLOS (Public Library of Science) Neglected Tropical Diseases acknowledges that scorpion sting envenomation has many features that characterize NTDs.9