Posted by 
Scorpions can be found at every corner of the globe and on six of the seven continents, from the southern tip of South America to the arid expanse of the Sahara Desert. About 104 species spanning across the globe providing a vital update to the global record of medically significant scorpions, or scorpions whose venom could be alternately gravely harmful or medically beneficial to human beings.
There’s a lot of hype about scorpions, about how they kill, but there are over 2,200 species of scorpion. Only about 30 of them might put you one in the hospital, and of those, symptoms vary based on age and health. Scorpions evolved venom as a tool for defense and predation. Often, scorpions’ venom will develop in response to specific adaptations in their predators or prey, triggering a spiraling co-evolutionary process that produces more lethal venom in the scorpions and more robust resistances in their adversaries.
For the study, researchers conducted an exhaustive review of existing research in an effort to compile a comprehensive catalog of medically significant scorpions, their native locations and the severity of their symptoms. Their review shows that, while scorpions have propagated successfully throughout the globe, the most dangerous species appear in clustered hotspots.
Most of the really harmful scorpions, the types that induce symptoms that could be fatal if not properly treated, are distributed throughout Asia, the Middle East, some in Africa, very few in the United States and quite a few in South America, particularly Brazil. A dangerous cocktail of tiny neurotoxic peptides gives some scorpion venom a decidedly unfriendly edge, but other scorpions produce venom that humans have learned to use to their advantage. One Iranian species produces a toxin that scientists suggest could be used to treat brain tumors, despite a name that sounds more malevolent than medicinal.
Deathstalker scorpion produces a toxin that targets certain brain tumors to stop their growth. It’s also called ‘tumor paint’ because they can use it to highlight a tumor before surgery so that they cut out all the parts of the tumor without leaving anything behind. The first thing to do if you get stung by a scorpion is to stay calm, take a picture of the scorpion or put it in a cup and bring it to the emergency room.