Spatial Distribution of Scorpionism in Ardabil Province, North West of Iran

BackgroundScorpion stings are the most important health problems in tropical and subtropical countries. The aim of this study was to assess spatial distribution of scorpions and scorpionism in Ardabil province, Iran.
Materials and MethodsThis descriptive–analytic study wascarried out in all 10 counties of Ardabil province, Northwestern Iran.The clinical and demographic data of scorpion sting cases were collected from questionnaires belonging to an 8 year - period of 2010 to 2017. In addition, scorpions were captured using Ultra-violet (UV) light, Pitfall traps and digging methods. After species identification, Arc GIS 9.3 software was applied for mapping spatial distribution of them. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 21.0).
ResultsA total of 958 scorpion sting cases were documented. One hundred ninety cases (19.83%) of them were occurred in age group ConclusionThere was a high prevalence of scorpion stings in rural areas in Ardabil province among age group less than 19 years old. This finding suggests the necessity of preventive programs for decreasing this higher incidence.