The sting of a scorpion, in some cases, can generate serious health complications and even be lethal for people. That’s why researchers are seeking to create an antivenom serum for scorpions in the Province of Buenos Aires.
The Parasitological and Vector Studies Center (CEPAVE) is working together with the Tomás Perón Biological Institute of the Province of Buenos Aires.
Scorpion antivenom serum: the progress of the research
The project to create an antivenom serum in the Province of Buenos Aires.
The goal is to use scorpion venom on people stung by these animals. The project is supported by the CIC through the Ideas-Project call.
The objective is to use the venom from scorpions inhabiting the Buenos Aires territory as bio-input to develop a serum that counteracts the effects. The idea, as indicated to Tiempo, is to distribute it throughout the Province.
The scorpion breeding facility at CEPAVE is located on the campus of UNLP. There, in a biotherium, a cubicle where laboratory animals are raised and maintained at appropriate temperature and pressure for experimentation, researchers work with scorpions of various sizes and captured species in the territory.
“At CEPAVE, we are responsible for ensuring the venom is obtained,” expressed the project’s Veterinary Doctor researcher Ana Paola Miceli.
Currently, they have over 500 live scorpions under study. A key step in this process is the milking of the venom, which is carried out at the Tomás Perón Biological Institute, to be injected into horses (the animal from which the best volume of serum can be extracted) that in turn generate an immunological reaction.
From the extraction of the horse’s blood, the hyperimmune serum is obtained.
To clarify some important issues, researchers pointed out that one of the most common misconceptions is the belief that there are venomous and non-venomous scorpions. “All scorpions transmit venom through their sting,” but “not all are dangerous to people,” clarified Dr. in Biological Sciences Sergio Rodríguez Gil.
You can collaborate
This project also has a collaborative component: those who see scorpions can report or capture them.
“Scorpions do not climb glass, so we urge people to, if they dare, trap them with a jar, slide a sheet of paper underneath, flip it over, and quickly cover the jar,” they indicated.
It is also possible to leave the trapped scorpion between the jar and the surface and contact them if they are in the La Plata area.
How to collaborate.
Scorpions, threatened
Despite their fascinating characteristics, scorpions face significant threats. Among them, capture for the exotic pet trade, the use of their venom for medical purposes, and habitat loss due to urban and agricultural expansion.
Natural predators such as birds, lizards, tarantulas, and small mammals like meerkats also pose a danger to them.
Scorpions play a crucial role in ecological balance, controlling insect populations and other invertebrates in their ecosystems. Their presence indicates the health of an ecosystem, thriving in balanced environments with suitable climatic conditions and food availability.
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