SOLO SE Blog

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Anascorp, the first specific treatment for a scorpion sting by Centruroides Scorpion scorpions in the United States.

Venomous scorpions in the U.S. are mostly found in the southwest, specifically in Arizona. Severe stings occur most frequently in infants and children, and can cause shortness of breath, fluid in the lungs, breathing problems, excess saliva, blurred vision, slurred speech, trouble swallowing, abnormal eye movements, muscle twitching, trouble walking, and other uncoordinated muscle movements. Untreated cases can be fatal.

“This product provides a new treatment for children and adults and is designed specifically for scorpion stings,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Scorpion stings can be life-threatening, especially in infants and children.”

Anascorp, Centruroides (Scorpion) Immune F(ab’)2 (Equine) Injection has been proven effective in resolving neurological signs of scorpion stings in children within 4 hours. To learn more about Ananscorp, click here.

Many agree that sensationalism in the media often does more damage than good. Recent reports that snake venom is rapidly evolving to become more toxic is one such instance. Not only are these claims unsupported by reliable data, they make people more likely to avoid being in the wilderness for fear of being attacked by mutant snakes!

A great article published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine entitled "Are Rattlesnake Venoms Evolving Rapidly?" by William K. Hayes and Stephen P. Mackessy  provides solid information on this issue. While evolution may indeed be occurring, venom is not getting more toxic each year and human factors are more likely the reason for the apparent increase of severe reactions to snake bites.

Click here to read the full article.