Over 20,000 cases of scorpion stings in Morocco in 2004

Some 24,000 cases of scorpion stings were reported in 2004 in Morocco, representing over 30% of poisoning cases, said Director of Moroccan Anti-Poison Center (CNAP), Rachida Slimani.

Speaking on the margin of a medical study day, she noted that scorpion stings caused 1,000 poisoning cases, including 87 deaths.

The region located between the Atlantic Ocean and Atlas mountains is the more beset by this phenomenon notably Kalaat Sraghna, Marrakech, El Jadida, Settat, Beni Mellal, Essaouira, Safi and Agadir, she pointed out.

Slimani noted that the Health ministry and competent actors focus their strategy operations to reduce the number of scorpion stings and death cases notably to children who are mostly vulnerable to this phenomenon as death rate among them varies between 80 and 90%.

The strategy includes guaranteeing a continuous training for nurses and physicians about scorpion sting treatment and diagnostic, and on rehabilitating the reanimation services.