Nearly 33,000 Scorpion Stings, 15 Related Deaths Reported in Iran Last Year

Over the last Iranian calendar year ending mid-March, 32,829 Iranians were stung by scorpions, with 15 of those stung dying of the injury, Iran’s Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The report notes that Iran follows only Mexico and Colombia worldwide for high numbers of stings, with an average of 60,000 stings reported in Iran annually. That makes the number of reported stings last year remarkably low—just 55% of the annual average.

Iran is home to 50 species of scorpions, seven of which are dangerous to humans. They are often found in older buildings, using crevices on walls or ceilings as well as shoes and clothes as hiding spots.

The report also shows there were 6,597 snakebites reported in Iran, three of which resulted in death, over the last Iranian year.