Snakes and spiders attacked more than 5,000 people in Oman and nearly a quarter of the victims were children, according to the Health Ministry.
In a health report, the Ministry said about 4,990 people were admitted to hospitals after being stung by venomous spiders and scorpions, while a further 233 people were admitted after being attacked by snakes and lizards.
“Snake bites abound in the summer due to high temperatures, and in the current period because of low temperatures, many people prefer to go out for recreation and camping. This may expose them to snakes and scorpions,” said Dr Fathiya Al Qassabi, senior consultant family physician at the Ministry of Health.
Qassabi advised campers to avoid rocky places as they are frequented by snakes. The Ministry recommends cleaning and arranging the campsite before making camp.
“Most scorpions are non-toxic and only about 25 percent of them are poisonous,” she said adding that scorpion stings usually cause significant local pain and some swelling with less systematic toxicity, except in some cases.
“But people may develop severe symptoms, especially if they are allergic to scorpion or snake venom, which may manifest in the form of the swelling of the bite wound, difficulty in breathing, and swelling of the tongue and throat, in addition to a decrease in blood pressure, which may lead to death,” she said.
For snake bites, the Ministry recommends going straight to the emergency room as most snake bites are toxic. Snake bite victims must avoid putting pressure on the bite wound, Qassabi said.
Ahmed Al Busaidi Technician at Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center at Nizwa University said: “If you get bitten by a snake, do not be nervous… stay calm, move away from the site quietly and look at the snake to know its pattern and colour… do not attempt to kill the snake as that might anger the reptile further and cause it to attack in self-defence.”
The ministry said the majority of hospital admissions for bites were children aged nine and under, which accounted for 1,248 of the 4,990 cases. In addition, elderly people aged 60 and above made up another 341 cases.
