University of São Paulo: Atlas Maps Scorpion Accidents, Aiding in Prevention Efforts
It happened without her noticing. A Brazilian tourist, returning from Europe, inadvertently brought a small scorpion in her suitcase to São Paulo. Unprepared, she did not notice the presence of the arachnid. The scorpion, now an intruder in an urban environment and part of a species not native to Brazil, camouflaged itself in the shadows of the metropolis, representing the hidden danger that can arise when we bring wild elements to the city.
The real story above was described by Sérgio Cominato Ferraz, author of the Scorpion Atlas of São Paulo , which is the result of master’s research defended at the Faculty of Public Health (FSP) at USP and supervised by professor Francisco Chiaravalloti Neto. The work was made available in free e-book format via the USP Open Books Portal at this link .
Ferraz, who is a biologist at Lab-Fauna, the Synanthropic Fauna Identification and Research Laboratory of the Municipality of São Paulo, says that the research and the book emerged as “a response to an urgent demand from the Health Surveillance Units (Uvis )”, where Ferraz, previously manager of Environmental Surveillance in Parelheiros – a district located in the south of the city of São Paulo – identified gaps in knowledge and available infrastructure.
It highlights the complexity faced by surveillance teams, who, burdened with multiple responsibilities, struggle to deal effectively with scorpionism. “Those who work at Uvis don’t just work with scorpions, they take care of dengue, malaria, spotted fever, everything takes a lot of time”, explains Ferraz, reinforcing the challenges faced by these professionals.
Therefore, the book aims to fill this gap, offering a detailed view of the situation of scorpionism in São Paulo between the years 2013 and 2018. Based on data on scorpion notifications collected by São Paulo City Hall and the Health Disease Information System Notification (Sinan), the atlas presents maps and graphs that outline the distribution of scorpions and scorpion accidents over time.
By providing this comprehensive analysis, the material aims to support the activities of health surveillance teams, train health professionals and researchers, and guide government bodies in implementing effective preventive measures. “The work shows where the accidents with scorpions occurred, what the inspection detected”, he summarizes.
One of the work’s distinctive features is its focus on accessibility and practical utility. The biologist emphasizes that, although the Data Protection Law prevents the exposure of private information, the maps provided in the book offer a general understanding of the distribution of scorpions, without compromising the privacy of citizens. “The maps give a general idea of how this situation came to be , what it was like in the past.”
Considering that scorpion attacks reached a historic record in the State of São Paulo in 2023, with 49,381 registered cases, according to the State Department of Health, in the biologist’s opinion, the São Paulo Scorpion Atlas is not just a relevant scientific publication , but also an important tool in the fight against scorpionism.
Finally, the expert emphasizes the importance of making the atlas content available free of charge on the Open Books Portal. According to Ferraz, free access is essential to ensure that health professionals, researchers and even the general population have access to the knowledge necessary to deal with scorpionism. “Science is designed to improve people’s lives. I think it is essential that it is free and easy to disseminate”, he argues.