Received: July 30, 2007.

Accepted: January 28, 2008.

Abstract published online: January 31, 2008.

Full paper published online: March 8, 2008.

SECOND RECORD OF Tityus bahiensis (SCORPIONES, BUTHIDAE) FROM VENEZUELA: EPIDEMIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

DE SOUSA L. (1), BORGES A. (2), MANZANILLA J. (3, 4), BIONDI I. (5), AVELLANEDA E. (1)

(1) Center of Health Sciences Investigations, Anzoátegui Institute of Investigations and Development (INDESA), School of Medicine, University of Oriente, Puerto La Cruz, Anzoátegui, Venezuela; (2) Laboratory of Animal Toxins, Center for Biosciences and Molecular Medicine, Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA), Institute of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela; (3) Museum of the Agricultural Zoology Institute (MIZA), Institute of Agricultural Zoology, Faculty of Agronomy, Central University of Venezuela, Aragua, Venezuela; (4) Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain; (5) Laboratory of Venomous Animals and Herpetology, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Bahia State, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: This work reports the second record of the scorpion Tityus bahiensis Perty from Venezuela. The specimen was found alive in a wardrobe at a hotel resort in Margarita Island, northeastern Venezuela. Morphological characterization allowed its assignment to the Tityus bahiensis population inhabiting the southernmost area of the species’ geographic range, e.g. the state of São Paulo in Brazil, northern Argentina and Paraguay. The fact that the only available Venezuelan antiscorpion (anti-Tityus discrepans) serum does not neutralize the effects of alpha- and beta-toxin from Tityus serrulatus venom (which resembles in composition that of T. bahiensis) constitutes a warning to local clinicians confronted with envenomations by noxious species transported to Venezuela from Brazil by human agency.  

KEY WORDS: Tityus, Scorpiones, Buthidae, exotic species.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: There is no conflict.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

LEONARDO DE SOUSA, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (CICS), Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo Anzoátegui (INDESA) y Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Oriente, Núcleo de Anzoátegui, Puerto La Cruz 6023, P. O. Box 4774, Anzoátegui, Venezuela. Email: leonardodesousa@yahoo.com.