SCORPION STING: A PROBLEM OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN EL KELAA DES SRAGHNA (MOROCCO)

EL OUFIR R. (1), SEMLALI I. (1), IDRISSI M. (1), SOULAYMANI A. (2), BENLARABI S. (1), KHATTABI A. (1), AIT MOH M. (3), SOULAYMANI BENCHEIKH R. (1)

(1) Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Centre of Morocco, Rabat Institute, Madinat Al Irfane, Rabat, Morocco; (2) Laboratory of Genetics and Biometrics, Kénitra Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kénitra, Morocco; (3) Medical Delegation of Province El Kelaa des Sraghna, Morocco.

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed at verifying the impact of a Moroccan strategy against scorpion stings and, specifically, at identifying the epidemiological features of the patients envenomed or just stung by scorpions. The investigation included 11,907 patients from El Kelaa des Sraghna, province of Morocco, who were evaluated over five years (2001-2005). In this province, most stings occurred during the hot period and mainly at night. The average incidence was 3.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, the percentage of patients 15 years old was 34%, and the envenomation rate was 12%. Average lethality rate was 0.7%. Our work puts the action on the interest of the use of some indicators of follow-up of morbidity and lethality by scorpion sting and envenomation, which can be indicators of evaluation of the strategies installation.

KEY WORDS: epidemiology, scorpions, strategy, indicators, El Kelaa, Morocco.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

RHIZLANE EL OUFIR, Centre Anti Poison et de Pharmacovigilance du Maroc, Rue Lamfedel Cherkaoui, Rabat Institut, Madinat Al Irfane. BP 6671, Rabat 10100, Maroc. Fax number: +212 37 77 74 68. Email: eloufir17@yahoo.fr.