Here, we present successful maintenance and venom extraction protocols for large-scale Tityus serrulatus Lutz and Mello, 1922 (Brazilian yellow scorpion) husbandry, with the aim of providing venom for subsequent scorpion antivenom production to meet the demand of the Brazilian health system.
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Method Article
Captive Maintenance and Venom Extraction of Tityus serrulatus (Brazilian Yellow Scorpion) for Antivenom Production
In This Article
Summary
Abstract
Scorpion envenomation is a public health problem in several tropical and subtropical countries. Tityus serrulatus Lutz and Mello, 1922 (Brazilian yellow scorpion) are responsible for approximately 150,000 envenoming cases per year in Brazil, of which 10% require antivenom treatment to reverse life-threatening venom effects. Therefore, thousands of T. serrulatus individuals are maintained under controlled captivity conditions for venom extraction, subsequently used in the production of the national supply of scorpion antivenom. Instituto Butantan is the main antivenom-manufacturing laboratory in Brazil, providing about 70,000 vials of scorpion antivenom for the Brazilian health system. Thus, the husbandry protocols and venom extraction methodologies are key points for the success of large-scale, standardized venom production. The objective of this article is to describe the captivity protocols of T. serrulatus husbandry, encompassing the husbandry routine and the venom extraction procedures, following good manufacturing practices, and ensuring animal welfare. These practices allow for the maintenance of up to 20,000 animals in captivity, with a routine of 3,000 to 5,000 scorpions milked monthly according to antivenom manufacturing demand, achieving an average of 90% of positive extraction.
Introduction
Scorpions are arthropods belonging to the class Arachnida, order Scorpiones, which comprises approximately 2,621 species1,2. These animals have a wide geographical range and are present on all continents except Antarctica1. Envenomation caused by scorpions results in the morbidity or death of thousands of people every year globally3. In 2019, it was estimated that there were more than 1.2 million accidents and 3,500 annual deaths caused by these animals. In Brazil, the number of cases has been increasing exponentially, reaching more than 100,000 cases per year si....
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Protocol
Protocols involving invertebrate animals are exempt from Instituto Butantan's Committee on the Use and Care of Animals' approval. However, the maintenance of scorpions described here follows ethical parameters, and animal welfare is respected according to the needs of the species.
1. Housing
- Keep the scorpions in communal polypropylene containers as enclosures (height 35 cm, width 35.5 cm, length 72 cm) containing a maximum of 350 animals.
- Maintain the room where the animal enclosures are housed under a controlled temperature of 24 °C (±0.5 °C) in a light cycle of 10 h with lights on and 14 h with ligh....
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Results
Thirty standard operational procedures (SOPs) were developed for each procedure, ensuring the repeatability of the procedures among technicians and compliance with quality parameters. The average mortality rate after the extraction procedure is around 12%, which may be considered low, considering the electrostimulation routine and the captivity environment, where stress factors are successfully reduced by applying the procedures.
To keep the animals healthy, a tray covered with cotton and wate.......
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Discussion
The application of the methods described allows us to keep a large number of T. serrulatus individuals and gives us consistent predictability of the number of scorpions needed for annual venom production. This way, we are able to provide enough batches of venom in advance to supply the antivenom manufacturing process. At the same time, the development of pre-established schedules for maintenance, feeding, and venom extraction is an essential part of the activities and assists in complying with the described prot.......
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Disclosures
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Materials
| Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carboard sheet | NA | NA | |
| Egg tray | NA | NA | cardboard 36 places egg trays |
| Electro stimulator device | Instituto Butantan | ART-FV-01 | Internally designed for the venom extraction |
| Kraft paper | NA | NA | regular kraft paper |
| Making tape | NA | NA | White masking tape (24 mm x 50 m) |
| Polyproplene container | NA | NA | 70 L Polypropylene box (H – 35 cm, W – 35.5 cm, L - 72 cm) |
| Polyproplene tray | NA | NA | Polypropylene tray (H – 3.0 cm, W – 18.5 cm, L - 30 cm) |
| Self-adhesive plastic | NA | NA |
References
- Polis, G. A. The biology of scorpions. , Stanford University Press. (1990).
- Lacerda, A. B., et al. Scorpion envenomation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Spatiotemporal analysis of a growing public health concern. PLoS One. 17 (4), 0266138(2022).
- Reckzi....
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