Speaker
Description
Scorpion envenomation causes over one million cases annually worldwide. While mortality is lower than that of snake bites, the morbidity and risk of death in children remain substantial. Scorpions are thermophilic organisms whose activity and distribution are strongly influenced by climate conditions. With rising temperatures and increasing weather variability, climate change is expected to intensify scorpion activity and expand the risk of envenomation.
Although much of the scientific debate has focused on the effects of climate change on snakes and spiders, the burden of scorpionism has been comparatively neglected, despite its widespread impact. In Morocco, and particularly in the Marrakech-Safi region, scorpion stings represent a major toxicological emergency and a persistent public health challenge.
This work explores the potential effects of climate change on scorpion ecology, behavior, and envenomation risk. By linking environmental and socioeconomic factors, it emphasizes the urgent need to adapt public health policies and preventive strategies to mitigate the growing threat of scorpionism in Marrakech-Safi and similar endemic regions.
Keywords: Scorpion; Envenomation; Climate change; Public health
