Morocco's Scorpion Problem

For over twenty years Morocco has been tackling the problem of scorpions in the south of the country. The recent death of a young boy from the village of Tamri, 30 kilometres from Agadir, highlights the need for ongoing education and a quicker medical response

In the latest incident the boy's father called for an ambulance but was told it did not have enough petrol for the journey. Eventually the father raised the money for fuel but on arrival at the hospital Hassan II in Agadir, some reports claim that admission was delayed because of a lack of the father's ID.

Whatever the truth, the boy died. According to health officials there are around 30,000 scorpion bites reported each year with a third of them in the Marrakech region. Over 80% of the bites occur inside houses at night between May and September.

In nine out of ten cases the bites are only mild as of the 30 species of scorpions found in Morocco, only one can cause fatalities. Statistics suggest that out of some 3,000 bites this year, 500 have required intensive care treatment.

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