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1 "Kaouthar Boubekeur"
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Original Article
Demographic and epidemiological characteristics of scorpion envenomation and daily forecasting of scorpion sting counts in Touggourt, Algeria
Kaouthar Boubekeur, Mohamed L’Hadj, Schehrazad Selmane
Epidemiol Health. 2020;42:e2020050.   Published online July 6, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2020050
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  • 10 Web of Science
  • 5 Crossref
AbstractAbstract PDFSupplementary Material
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted to provide better insights into the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of scorpion envenomation in an endemic area in Algeria and to identify the model that best predicted daily scorpion sting counts.
METHODS
Daily sting data from January 1, 2013 to August 31, 2016 were extracted from questionnaires designed to elicit information on scorpion stings from the two emergency medical service providers in Touggourt, Algeria. Count regression models were applied to the daily sting data.
RESULTS
A total of 4,712 scorpion sting cases were documented, of which 70% occurred in people aged between 10 years and 49 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.3. The upper and lower limbs were the most common locations of scorpion stings (90.4% of cases). Most stings (92.8%) were mild. The percent of people stung inside dwellings was 68.8%. The hourly distribution of stings showed a peak between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The daily number of stings ranged from 0 to 24. The occurrence of stings was highest on Sundays. The incidence of scorpion stings increased sharply in the summer. The mean annual incidence rate was 542 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The fitted count regression models showed that a negative binomial hurdle model was appropriate for forecasting daily stings in terms of temperature and relative humidity, and the fitted data agreed considerably with the actual data.
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that daily scorpion sting data provided meaningful insights; and the negative binomial Hurdle model was preferable for predicting daily scorpion sting counts.
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Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  
  • Scorpionism at the human–environment interface: an eco-epidemiological synthesis and conceptual framework
    Ahmed Karmaoui, Denis Sereno
    Frontiers in Public Health.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Histological changes in the adrenal glands of rats one day after exposure to the venom of the scorpion Leiurus macroctenus
    D. S. Kobzina-Didukh
    Reports of Vinnytsia National Medical University.2025; 29(4): 566.     CrossRef
  • Characterization of Hottentotta judaicus Scorpion Venom: Toxic Effects and Neurobehavioral Modulation in Insect Models
    Rim Wehbe, Aline Karaki, Zeina Dassouki, Mohamad Rima, Adolfo Borges, Rabih Roufayel, Christian Legros, Ziad Fajloun, Zakaria Kambris
    Toxins.2025; 17(11): 546.     CrossRef
  • Epidemiological Investigation and Sensitivity of Surveillance System in the Report of Scorpion Stings in the Southeast of Iran using the Network Scale-up Method
    Hossein Dehghan, Alireza Bahonar, Sina Heydari, Reza Faryabi, Faezeh Sadat Ghorshi Nasab, Esmat Rezabeigi-Davarani, Salman Daneshi
    The Open Public Health Journal.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
  • Scorpion Envenomations in Algeria
    Schehrazad Selmane, Mohamed Lhadj
    Journal of Preventive, Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies in Medicine.2022; 1(1): 45.     CrossRef
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