Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Phoebe Weston

Scorpions ‘taking over’ Brazilian cities with reported stings rising 155%

A hand holding a yellow scorpion by the tail
A yellow scorpion found in a home in Itabuna, north-east Brazil. The arachnids thrive in crowded housing, such as favelas, that lack proper waste disposal. Photograph: Joacy Souza/Alamy

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 155% increase in reports of stings from 2014 to 2023, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.