Scorpion Control in Military Units: A Review Study

Document Type : Review

Authors

1 Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center and Environment Health Department, College of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

2 Health Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The scorpion sting has long been a medical problem for people, especially those in the military forces. At the time of the Iran-Iraq war, it was one of the main health problems of Iranian soldiers, especially in the southern fronts and headquarters in the east of Khuzestan province. In Iran, more than 40,000 cases of scorpion stings are reported annually, and despite the provision and production of antidote, the cases leading to hospitalization and the need for treatment are still high.
Military forces, due to their missions, are entering the natural habitats of these venomous arthropods and are being stung. An interruption in the access of injured people to appropriate treatment facilities, including antidotes, may threaten the person's life, increase the length of hospitalization and treatment costs, and reduces the combat capability of the military unit. Therefore, control and preventative measures of scorpion stings can be a practical way to deal with this health problem. In this review, all methods of controlling scorpions in different conditions depending on the behavior of the species are considered, and practical and methodological approaches are recommended.
It is essential to carry out studies on medical entomology and the identification of scorpions in any area, prior to conducting maneuvers and building military camps and installations. Environmental and physical control measures are used in a variety of ways, including traps, chemical and biological control of scorpions in military environments, as well as specialized training in this field.

Keywords

Journal of Military Medicine
Volume 20, Issue 1 - Serial Number 73
March and April 2018
Pages 3-13

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