Bark Scorpion Envenomation Capture-Recapture Estimate in Maricopa County, Arizona, 2017-2021.

Introduction

Bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) envenomations (SE) can cause life-threatening reactions and occur commonly in Arizona.

Methods

We described the epidemiology of reported SE in Maricopa County during 2017-2021 using hospital discharge data (HDD) and regional poison center (PC) data. We also estimated actual SE incidence using 2-source capture-recapture methodology.

Results

In total, 45,179 SE were reported across both systems. During 2017-2021, Maricopa County hospitals recorded 17,884 unique visits in hospital discharge data. PCs consulted on 30,331 SEs. Capture-recapture calculations estimated 178,625 total SE during the 5-year period.

Conclusions

We estimated approximately four times the total SE occurred than were captured in databases. Regional PC data captured ∼60% more SE reports than HDD and provided a secondary data source to enhance our understanding of the incidence of these injuries using capture-recapture methods.