Epidemiological profile of venomous animal bites and stings (A neglected problem) in the north of Sistan - Baluchistan province, South-Eastern Iran

In this 2-year retrospective descriptive study, the data on bites and stings from venomous animals were collected from health centers in this province. The data were extracted, classified, statistically analyzed, and, finally, presented in tables. The results showed that 716 cases of bites and stings from venomous animals were reported in 2019 and 2020 in Nimruz, Hamoon, Zabol, Helmand, and Zahak Counties. The data indicated that snakes were responsible for the majority of cases (97.2%), and 1.1, 0.4 and 0.3% of cases were caused by scorpions, bees, and other arthropods, respectively. In addition, the cause of 1.1% of cases was unknown. In terms of age, most cases (32.4%) were related to people aged 21 - 40 years, whereas those aged 0 - 10 years were affected less than others (18.7%). The data also indicated that the prevalence of bites and stings from venomous animals was 70.3% among men. The results suggested that snakes were the main cause of bites and stings in the studied region. Future studies are hence recommended to focus on the behavioral and ecological traits of snake species. Moreover, public education in high-risk regions can effectively reduce the cases of bites and stings from venomous animals.