Scorpion Stings Already Spiking In Brazilian Cities; Will Get Worse As Warming And Urban Expansion Continue

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Scorpions are “taking over” Brazilian cities, researchers have warned in a paper that said rapid urbanisation and climate breakdown were driving an increase in the number of people being stung. More than 1.1m stings were reported between 2014 and 2023, according to data from the Brazilian notifiable diseases information system. There was a 250% increase in reports of stings from 2014 to 2023, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

The rise in cases has been driven by rapid, unplanned urbanisation – such as favelas – characterised by high-density housing and poor waste disposal, according to the research. Although urban areas are encroaching on wild habitats where scorpions already live, they are also creating new environments in which to thrive. “Urbanisation in Brazil has profoundly reshaped ecosystems,” said the lead researcher, Manuela Berto Pucca, an assistant professor at São Paulo State University. “Cities unintentionally offer everything scorpions need: plenty of shelter (in walls, drains, rubble and construction debris), consistent warmth, and a reliable food supply in the form of cockroaches and other urban invertebrates.”

They particularly like sewers, which are warm year-round, home to almost no predators and provide plenty of food, especially cockroaches. Some species of scorpion can survive for up to 400 days without food and are able to reproduce without mating, making them difficult to eradicate. Hotter summers, and periods of intense rainfall and drought, also help them thrive as they are adapted to warm and humid environments.

Provisional data for 2024 suggests scorpions were responsible for nearly 200,000 stings and 133 deaths in Brazil. In total, researchers projected 2m new cases between 2025 and 2033. “The real scale of this issue is likely far greater than the recorded statistics suggest,” researchers said, as many people choose to treat themselves at home, or forgo treatment. “I’ve been working in places where scorpion stings are a daily fear, especially in poor and crowded areas,” said Pucca. “The numbers showed us that in the future the problem will be bigger than it is now.”

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/may/08/scorpion-stings-rise-brazil-cities-aoe