In many underdeveloped tropical countries and regions such as India, Mexico, Middle East, Africa and South Latin America, scorpion envenoming is a serious public health problem. There are about 2000 species of scorpions in the world, 50 of which are actually dangerous to humans and responsible for an estimated 5000 deaths a year. Among Middle Eastern countries, at least 52 species of scorpions have been reported in Iran. This is more than any other country in the region. In addition, in Iran, scorpion envenoming has been estimated to be 50,000 per year, of which about 20-50 deaths have occurred each year. About 10 species which are responsible for the reported envenoming belong to the Buthidae family apart from Hemiscorpius lepturus which is a Hemiscorpiidae. The Buthidae family include: Androctonus crassicauda, Mesobuthus eupeus, Odontobuthus doriae, Hottentotta saulcyi, Hottentotta schach, Compsobuthus matthiesseni, Orthochirus scrobiculosus, Apistobuthus pterygocercus and Olivierus caucasicus . Androctonus crassicauda and Hemiscorpius lepturus are usually cited as the most dangerous species among Iranian scorpions.This article focuses on the geographical distribution of Iranian scorpions, especially those which are considered to be the more dangerous to human, and also attempts to demonstrate an accurate magnitude of scorpion stings in Iran.

Keywords