Unveiling scorpionism in Northern Algerian Sahara (El Oued Province): Epidemiological trends and faunistic diversity.

Scorpion envenoming is a major health problem in many countries, especially in rural regions such as El-Oued region (Algeria). Our study is a contribution to characterize the epidemiological situation of scorpion envenoming in the province of El Oued, by an exhaustive search for the causal species and an analysis of the epidemiological data of this region. During the study, we sampled a large number of scorpions belonging to ten scorpion species specialized in this biotope which qualified this region as a red zone, in particular Androctonus austalis (relative abundance = 48,72 %) the most dangerous species in Algeria. Analysis of epidemiological data (2018-2024) showed that 34,640 cases of scorpion stings were reported, resulting in 10 deaths. When the morbidity shows an average annual incidence rate of 585.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest incidence rate was reported in 2019, with 694.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and the highest number of stings was recorded in 2020, (6259 cases). During the seven years of study, the scorpion stings affect more men than women, with a sex ratio of 2.86. This observation is noted for all age groups, the most affected being those aged 15 to 49, representing 64.39 % of cases. However, the scorpion stings are mostly concentrated (41.14 %) between 18h and 23h. While, September recorded the highest number of cases of the year with more than 1040. Mortality analysis shows an equal number of deaths between the sexes and the distribution of deaths by age group reveals a predominance among individuals aged 15-49 (40 %), noting that the highest case lethality rate in our study was recorded in 2018, at approximately 0.09 %, with 5 deaths. Our study on the epidemiological and scorpion diversity in El Oued province represents a fundamental starting point for future research aimed at understanding the factors contributing to scorpion envenomation, particularly species diversity, proliferation factors, and the identification of red (high-risk) zones. These findings can help raise public awareness and guide citizens to avoid settlement or urban expansion in areas at risk.