Venomous Yellow Scorpions Are Moving Into Brazil’s Big Cities—and the Infestation May Be Unstoppable
11 February 2019
Insights + Opinion
Yellow scorpions have a poisonous, though not often deadly, sting. José Roberto Peruca / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
By Hamilton Coimbra Carvalho
I live in São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, home to some 12 million people—20 million if you count the outskirts, which have been sprawling for three decades.
That makes it a good place to observe the phenomenon I research: complex social problems. In academia, this concept refers to problems like corruption, crime and traffic—problems that, in practice, cannot be solved. They must simply be mitigated or managed.
<p>
São Paulo is a dense city, with scarce green space and little to no <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/animals/">animal</a> life—no squirrels, no raccoons, not even a lot of birds. So I was astonished when, in January, I learned that scorpions had infested my neighborhood.
</p><p>
It turns out, people across the city and São Paulo state were having the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/15/scorpion-deaths-rise-brazil-cities-urban-adaptation-risks" target="_blank">same problem</a> with these dangerous, venomous bugs. Statewide, scorpion stings have increased <a href="https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/brasil-46590813" target="_blank">threefold over the last two decades</a>.
</p><p>
Four kinds of scorpions live across Brazil, but historically only in rural areas. São Paulo residents are urbanites. We have conquered nature—or so we thought.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTE4MTA4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTYzNzczM30.8O3j5rh7mZxB5s18EkTAH-MNX91p9lLrxUEiJTHl9P4/img.jpg?width=980" id="f037c" width="640" height="426" data-rm-shortcode-id="6fb2dca8e71f89fdcce5dbca291feb1f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="add caption...">São Paulo is Brazil's biggest city, with 12.2 million residents. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit..."><a href="https://pixabay.com/en/s%C3%A3o-paulo-center-architecture-1194953/" target="_blank">Pixabay</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">CC BY</a></small>
</p><h2>Brazil's Urban Scorpions</h2><p>
Brazil's scorpion infestation is the perfect example of how unpredictable modern life has become. It is a hallmark of what those of us in the complex problems field call a "VUCA" world—a world that's <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/01/what-vuca-really-means-for-you" target="_blank">volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous</a>.
</p><p>
Some <a href="http://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/2017/03/27/why-scorpions-are-now-more-worrisome/" target="_blank">2.5 billion people worldwide, from Mexico to Russia, live with scorpions</a>, which generally prefer <a href="https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/european_scorp.php" target="_blank">hot and dry habitats</a>.
</p><p>
But Brazil's cities also provide an <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/31001891/ija_2012_v1_n2_p3_15_23.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1549294871&Signature=EJ%2BkPRzn%2FeKEW3A0RQCvZuLMpOg%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DAbundance_of_scorpions_Tityus_serrulatus.pdf" target="_blank">excellent habitat for scorpions</a>, experts say. They offer shelter in sewage networks, plenty of water and food in the garbage that goes uncollected, and no natural predators.
</p><p>
Scorpions, like the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2251,00.html" target="_blank">cockroaches they feast on</a>, are an <a href="http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992006000100005" target="_blank">incredibly adaptable species</a>. As the weather in Brazil gets hotter due to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a>, scorpions are spreading <a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ciencia/2019/01/ataques-de-escorpioes-aumentam-80-nos-ultimos-cinco-anos.shtml" target="_blank">across the country</a>—including into its colder southern states that <a href="http://www.saude.rs.gov.br/vigilancia-reforca-cuidados-de-prevencao-ao-escorpiao-amarelo" target="_blank">rarely, if ever, had reports of scorpions</a> prior to this millennium.
</p><p>
The number of people stung by scorpions across Brazil has risen <a href="https://g1.globo.com/ciencia-e-saude/noticia/2019/01/11/brasil-teve-mais-de-140-mil-acidentes-com-escorpioes-em-2018-veja-como-se-proteger.ghtml" target="_blank">from 12,000 in 2000 to 140,000 last year</a>, according to the health ministry.
</p><p>
Most scorpion stings are extremely painful but not fatal. For children, however, they are dangerous and require urgent medical attention. Eighty-eight people died from their wounds in 2017, <a href="https://g1.globo.com/ciencia-e-saude/noticia/2019/01/11/brasil-teve-mais-de-140-mil-acidentes-com-escorpioes-em-2018-veja-como-se-proteger.ghtml" target="_blank">Brazil's O Globo newspaper reports</a>, highlighting the lack of adequate medicare care available in small towns. Many of the dead are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/15/scorpion-deaths-rise-brazil-cities-urban-adaptation-risks" target="_blank">children</a>.
</p><p>
In Americana, a city with about 200,000 inhabitants in São Paulo state, teams that perform night searches for scorpions <a href="https://g1.globo.com/sp/campinas-regiao/noticia/americana-envia-15-mil-escorpioes-ao-butantan-para-fabricacao-de-soro.ghtml" target="_blank">captured more than 13,000 last year</a>—that's the equivalent of one scorpion for every 15 people.
</p><p>
Worse yet, the species terrorizing Brazilians is the highly poisonous yellow scorpion, or <em><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26522893" target="_blank">tityus serrulatus</a></em>. It reproduces through the miracle of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236013685_Parthenogenesis_in_scorpions_Some_history_-_New_data" target="_blank">parthenogenesis</a>, meaning a female scorpion simply generates copies of herself twice a year—no male participation required.
</p><p>
Each parthenogenesis can spawn up to 20 to 30 baby scorpions. Though most will die in their first days and weeks of life, ridding Brazilian cities of scorpions would be a herculean, if not downright impossible, task.
</p><h2>Wicked Problems in a Crazy World</h2><p>
Brazil's urban scorpion infestation is a classic "<a href="https://theconversation.com/wicked-problems-and-how-to-solve-them-100047" target="_blank">wicked problem</a>."
</p><p>
This term, first used in 1973 by <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/wicked-problem/about/What-is-a-wicked-problem" target="_blank">design theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber</a>, refers to enormous social or cultural problems like poverty and war—problems with no simple or definitive solution, and which arise at the intersection of other problems.
</p><p>
Wicked problems are a symptom of numerous other related problems, both natural and human-made. In this case, Brazil's urban scorpion infestation is the result of poor garbage management, inadequate sanitation, rapid urbanization and a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.12002" target="_blank">changing climate</a>.
</p><p>
It is likely too late to stop the spread of scorpions across Brazilian cities.
</p><p>
In a <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/01/what-vuca-really-means-for-you" target="_blank">VUCA world</a>, my <a href="https://www.poder360.com.br/author/hamilton-carvalho/" target="_blank">academic research</a> and <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/01/what-vuca-really-means-for-you" target="_blank">other problem-solving studies</a> show, wicked problems should be identified and confronted as soon as possible, using an array of responses.
</p><p>
In a VUCA world, the more resources you throw at problems, the better. That could mean everything from public awareness campaigns that educate Brazilians about scorpions to exterminator task forces working to control their population in urban areas. Scientists should be involved. Brazil's national public health system will need to adapt to this new threat.
</p><p>
Brazil's government appears to be ill-equipped to tackle the scorpion infestation.
</p><p>
Despite <a href="https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/ciencia/2019/01/ataques-de-escorpioes-aumentam-80-nos-ultimos-cinco-anos.shtml" target="_blank">dogged press coverage</a>, federal health officials have barely spoken publicly about Brazil's urban scorpion problem. And beyond some rather tepid national and state-level efforts to train health officials in scorpion risk, authorities seem to have no plan for fighting the infestation at the epidemic level it is heading towards.
</p><p>
Nor are cities likely to see any federal money dedicated to fighting this scorpion infestation: Brazil has been in a deep recession since 2015, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/facing-unemployment-austerity-and-scandal-brazil-struggles-to-keep-it-together-71663" target="_blank">public health budgets have been slashed</a>.
</p><p>
Venomous yellow scorpions, I fear, have already claimed their place alongside <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/world/americas/brazil-murder-rate-record.html" target="_blank">violent crime</a>, <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_traffic/countrywork/bra/en/" target="_blank">brutal traffic</a> and other chronic problems that urbanites in Brazil must cope with daily.
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
</p><div id="b43ba" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2LQVP11576662273"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1067599092598153216" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#ClimateChange Is Threatening Many Species, But One Is Getting a Boost https://t.co/0t7Uz0hdIF @truthout @savebutterflies @Buzz_dont_tweet</div> — EcoWatch (@EcoWatch)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/statuses/1067599092598153216">1543370433.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p></p><p><em><span style="background-color: initial;">Hamilton Coimbra Carvalho is a r</span>esearcher in complex social problems at Universidade de Sao Paulo.<br>Disclosure statement: Hamilton Coimbra Carvalho does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/venomous-yellow-scorpions-are-moving-into-brazils-big-cities-and-the-infestation-may-be-unstoppable-110844" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110844/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
waterlust.com / @tulasendlesssummer_sierra .
Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
The bright patterns and recognizable designs of Waterlust's activewear aren't just for show. In fact, they're meant to promote the conversation around sustainability and give back to the ocean science and conservation community.
Each design is paired with a research lab, nonprofit, or education organization that has high intellectual merit and the potential to move the needle in its respective field. For each product sold, Waterlust donates 10% of profits to these conservation partners.
<h2>Eye-Catching Designs Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles</h2><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjA0MjY1Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzg2MDUxMH0.vQSqaQyzxYslKiEII1Gdq-PoUNRNlJM2pokU5p882zw/img.jpg?width=980" id="e856d" width="1280" height="720" data-rm-shortcode-id="90bb13b6170b81423ec00e83705be2ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Waterlust whale shark">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">waterlust.com / @abamabam</small></p><div style="display: none;"><img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjA0MjY1Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzg2MDUxMH0.vQSqaQyzxYslKiEII1Gdq-PoUNRNlJM2pokU5p882zw/img.jpg?width=980" id="e856d" width="1280" height="720" data-rm-shortcode-id="90bb13b6170b81423ec00e83705be2ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Waterlust whale shark"></div><p>The company sells a range of eco-friendly items like leggings, rash guards, and board shorts that are made using <a data-linked-post="2636592849" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trash-art-2636592849.html" target="_blank">recycled post-consumer plastic bottles</a>. There are currently 16 causes represented by distinct marine-life patterns, from whale shark research and invasive lionfish removal to sockeye salmon monitoring and abalone restoration.<br></p><p>One such organization is <a href="https://getinspiredinc.org/" target="_blank">Get Inspired</a>, a nonprofit that specializes in ocean restoration and environmental education. Get Inspired founder, marine biologist Nancy Caruso, says supporting on-the-ground efforts is one thing that sets Waterlust apart, like their apparel line that supports Get Inspired <a href="https://waterlust.com/collections/abalone-restoration" target="_blank">abalone restoration programs</a>.</p><p>"All of us [conservation partners] are <em>doing</em> something," Caruso said. "We're not putting up exhibits and talking about it — although that is important — we're in the field."</p><p>Waterlust not only helps its conservation partners financially so they can continue their important work. It also helps them get the word out about what they're doing, whether that's through social media spotlights, photo and video projects, or the informative note card that comes with each piece of apparel. </p><p>"They're doing their part for sure, pushing the information out across all of their channels, and I think that's what makes them so interesting," Caruso said.</p><p>And then there are the clothes, which speak for themselves.</p><h2>Advocate Apparel to Start Conversations About Conservation</h2><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjA0MjY2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3ODM2OTcyN30.zAM54UVcfS629qaE3kNkyl1UYNXyywyal4hwIooJDAI/img.jpg?width=980" id="a4b91" width="1280" height="720" data-rm-shortcode-id="99e0e9c7fbef1a85cce5c55e8fd6fe9b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">waterlust.com / @oceanraysphotography</small></p><p>Waterlust's concept of "advocate apparel" encourages people to see getting dressed every day as an opportunity to not only express their individuality and style, but also to advance the conversation around marine science. By infusing science into clothing, people can visually represent species and ecosystems in need of advocacy — something that, more often than not, leads to a teaching moment.<br></p><p>"When people wear Waterlust gear, it's just a matter of time before somebody asks them about the bright, funky designs," said Waterlust's CEO, Patrick Rynne. "That moment is incredibly special, because it creates an intimate opportunity for the wearer to share what they've learned with another." </p><p>The idea for the company came to Rynne when he was a Ph.D. student in marine science.</p><p>"I was surrounded by incredible people that were discovering fascinating things but noticed that often their work wasn't reaching the general public in creative and engaging ways," he said. "That seemed like a missed opportunity with big implications." </p><p>Waterlust initially focused on conventional media, like film and photography, to promote ocean science, but the team quickly realized engagement on social media didn't translate to action or even knowledge sharing offscreen. </p><p>Rynne also saw the "in one ear, out the other" issue in the classroom — if students didn't repeatedly engage with the topics they learned, they'd quickly forget them.</p><p>"We decided that if we truly wanted to achieve our goal of bringing science into people's lives and have it stick, it would need to be through a process that is frequently repeated, fun, and functional," Rynne said. "That's when we thought about clothing."</p><h2>Support Marine Research and Sustainability in Style</h2><p>To date, Waterlust has sold tens of thousands of pieces of apparel in over 100 countries, and the interactions its products have sparked have had clear implications for furthering science communication.</p><p>For Caruso alone, it's led to opportunities to share her abalone restoration methods with communities far and wide.</p><p>"It moves my small little world of what I'm doing here in Orange County, California, across the entire globe," she said. "That's one of the beautiful things about our partnership."</p><p>Check out all of the different eco-conscious apparel options available from Waterlust to help promote ocean conservation.</p><p><em><em><strong><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/about-ecowatch-2641507575.html?rebelltitem=47#rebelltitem47" target="_self">Melissa Smith</a> </strong>is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.</em></em></p>
Read More
Show Less
Trending
Trending