(Press-News.org) An international team of scientists have identified how to pinpoint and predict hotspots for some of the most dangerous species of scorpion in the world.
The researchers have established the key environmental conditions that determine where lethal, venomous arachnids thrive - findings that could help shine a light on flashpoints for scorpion stings in tropical regions across the globe.
The team of scientists used field observations in Africa combined with computer modelling to predict where dangerous scorpion species are most likely to be found and what factors influence their distributions.
Their analysis uncovered a striking pattern - soil type largely determines where most scorpions live, while temperature, both average and seasonal ranges, play a key role for some species.
Crucially, not all scorpions behave alike. Some are adaptable and widespread, while several others showed extremely restricted predicted distributions, suggesting narrow habitat requirements and localised risk zones.
The research was conducted by an international team from University of Galway, in partnership with University Ibn Zohr in Morocco.
The findings of the study are published in Environmental Research Communications. It focuses on central Morocco, one of the most severe global hotspots for scorpion stings, and aims to guide prevention strategies, as well as the development of new diagnostic tools and antivenoms.
Dr Michel Dugon, Head of the Venom Systems Lab at University of Galway and senior author of the study, said: “The findings could save lives. By pinpointing where dangerous scorpions are most likely to appear, health authorities can target awareness campaigns, train frontline medical staff, and focus community prevention in high-risk areas, especially protecting children. The approach can be applied wherever scorpions pose a threat, from Brazil to the Middle East and India.”
Scorpion stings are a hidden global public health crisis, particularly across tropical and subtropical regions. Every year, more than 2 million people are stung. While most stings cause pain and swelling, some species can deliver venom that leads to very severe illness and death, especially in children and older people. Globally, scorpion stings are estimated to claim the lives of more than 3,000 children annually.
While antivenoms exist for a range of scorpion species, medical teams often struggle to identify which species is responsible, making timely, effective treatment difficult.
To address this issue, the researchers used a computer-mapping tool called Maximum Entropy to predict where dangerous scorpions live and what environmental conditions they prefer.
The analysis uncovered the striking patterns. Using globally available data on soil, temperature, and other habitat factors, the scientist demonstrates a way to pinpoint high-risk scorpion areas outside Morocco, including regions of the tropics where detailed species records are limited.
The research was carried out by established and doctoral scientists from both universities, with support from University of Galway undergraduate students who travel to Morocco annually as part of their Bachelor of Science Zoology programme.
Dr Dugon added: “Overall, we know very little about the ecology of scorpions, their venom and the best way to treat scorpion stings. Our international collaborative efforts aim to develop new tools for the prevention, diagnostic and treatment of scorpion stings globally. This requires multidisciplinary teams including public health specialists, clinicians, zoologists and members of local communities.”
Fouad Salhi, doctoral researcher at the University Ibn Zohr of Agadir and first author of the study, said: “This research shows how biodiversity data can inform public health policies. By combining long-term fieldwork with ecological modelling, we were able to identify where dangerous scorpions are most likely to occur. We aim to have real-world impact — supporting prevention strategies, improving medical preparedness, and ultimately contribute to the reduction of the burden of scorpion stings, both in Morocco and beyond.”
Dr Colin Lawton, Head of Zoology at University of Galway and co-author of the study, said: “University of Galway is gaining momentum as a centre of excellence in zoological research, addressing questions of global importance, from fish stock to mammal conservation and animal-borne disease mitigation. We are very proud to integrate our BSc Zoology students into our research activities and international partnerships.”
The full study in Environmental Research Communications is available at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/ae3fef.
Ends
END
Arizona State University researchers will lead a panel discussion on household water insecurity at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, which takes place in Phoenix next week.
The panel, “Beyond the Tap: Water Insecurity in the United States,” is organized by Patrick Thomson, a research scientist with ASU’s Arizona Water for All project and will be moderated by Regents and President’s Professor Alexandra Brewis from ASU’s School of Human Evolution and Social Change. The session focuses on growing ...
Arizona State University Regents Anne Stone will present research on the evolutionary history of infectious disease at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, which takes place in Phoenix next week.
Stone’s presentation, “(Re)Emerging Pathogens: Ancient Spillovers Teach Us About Modern Plagues,” examines tuberculosis (TB), a disease that has affected humans and animals for thousands of years. Drawing on genetic analyses of ancient DNA, her research traces how TB moved between species and human populations over time and what those patterns reveal ...
Viruses exist at the boundary between living and non-living matter, while skin is a living interface between physics and biology, making them perfect—but until now overlooked—arenas for testing the interplay between quantum physics, biology and life. That’s according to arguments made by Connor Thompson, a PhD student in microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia, in Canada, and Samuel Morriss, a medical doctor based in Melbourne, Australia, whose two essays share the US$30,000 first prize in FQxI’s latest essay competition, presented in partnership with the Paradox Science Institute. The eight winners of the $53,000 competition—which ...
As the U.S. population ages, a growing number of older adults are living alone — a circumstance linked to increased risks of loneliness, social isolation and cognitive decline. Researchers from Arizona State University are addressing these challenges through innovative, technology-enabled interventions designed to improve health, independence and quality of life.
At the 2026 AAAS Annual Meeting, hosted in Phoenix, Arizona State University faculty from the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation will lead a panel discussion titled “Tech Solutions for Older Adults Living Alone with Cognitive Decline” ...
Tokyo, Japan – Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied how fruit flies tune their development in response to environmental changes (diapause). Studying fruit fly strains from different latitudes across Japan, they showed that the sensitivity to starting reproductive diapause varies smoothly with local conditions. Through genetic sequencing, they found that the timeless (tim) gene plays a key role, adding to growing evidence that diapause is strongly affected by genes regulating circadian rhythm.
Animals have a range of survival ...
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A study of more than 100 kindergarten-age children suggests kids tend to think of snakes differently than they do other animals and that hearing negative or objectifying language about the slithery reptiles might contribute to that way of thinking.
The study also suggests it takes minimal intervention to “inoculate” a child against snake negativity.
The findings, published in Anthrozoös, are important for multiple reasons, explains co-author Jeff Loucks of Oregon State University.
Snakes are reviled in many human cultures but little is known about how children develop feelings of fear and vilification toward an animal ...
FEBRUARY 2026 TIP SHEET
Chemotherapy Resistance
Can Chemo-Resistant Cancer Cells Be Resensitized?
A new study from Sylvester researchers may have found a workaround for the long-standing problem of chemotherapy resistance and, in turn, identified an encouraging way to restore the power of widely used chemotherapy drugs. The study, published this month in Genes & Development, explains how blocking a key protein forces damaged cancer cells into a state of uncontrolled transcriptional activity. This action creates ...
Even as misinformation proliferates across the Internet, sites containing low-credibility health information remain relatively scarce and unseen.
That’s according to new research from University of Utah communication scholars who tracked web-surfing activities of more than 1,000 U.S. adults for four weeks. But the findings, published in Nature Aging, illuminate a dark side. Traffic to such sites is concentrated heavily among older adults, especially among those who lean right politically.
This indicates the most vulnerable ...
Adult survivors of childhood cancers are at higher risk for another cancer – such as breast, colorectal, sarcomas and thyroid cancer – that is not a relapse of their original illness. Previous cancer therapies are largely responsible, however up to 13 percent of survivors also have hereditary predisposition that elevates their risk of subsequent cancer. A recent clinical trial found that genetic services via remote centralized telehealth and in collaboration with primary care increased the uptake of genetic ...
Recent global crises have exposed the limits of a universal mortality threshold for declaring famine—an approach that can obscure how famine actually unfolds across different populations. In a paper published in the Lancet, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and colleagues call for a fundamental re-examination of how famine thresholds are defined.
“The mortality thresholds used by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) were developed for rural African settings, not middle-income urban populations,” said L.H. Lumey, MD, PhD, Columbia Mailman School professor of Epidemiology. “There are stark disparities ...
