I guess you never know when or where you're going to get attacked by a scorpion. A woman traveling home from Mexico got stung by the creature at an airport in Boston. She was retrieving her bag from the baggage claim when the arachnid stung her.
According to WCVB, the woman immediately felt immense pain. First responders rushed her to the hospital from Boston Logan International Airport's Terminal E. We're unsure what state the woman is currently in after the scorpion sting. Additionally, we're unsure how the scorpion ended up in the airport in the first place.
Speaking with Daily Mail, a spokesperson from the Massachusetts Port Authority says it doesn't have any further details on the matter. Fortunately, scorpion stings are rarely life-threatening, even if they are very painful. In fact, no one has died in the US from a scorpion sting in more than half a century. Symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling but can affect blood pressure and heart rate.
Scorpion Stings Traveler
The Mayo Clinic reports, "As with other stinging insects, such as bees and wasps, it is possible for people who have been stung by scorpions before to have allergic reactions when stung later. Reactions to these later stings are sometimes serious enough to cause a life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. Symptoms in these cases are like those of anaphylaxis caused by bee stings, including hives, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting."
There are several species of scorpions in America as well. In fact, the University of Arizona writes, "There are close to 2,000 described species of scorpions worldwide, at least 100 in the U.S., and more than 50 species in the desert southwestern states. Scorpions have long been of concern and interest to humans primarily due to their ability to give painful, and sometimes life threatening stings, but also because they are important and beneficial components of many ecosystems."
It's not uncommon to find a scorpion in the Boston area. But it is still shocking to find at an airport. It's likely ruined her return trip home.
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