''Centruroides baergi'' is a species of
scorpion in the family
Buthidae. They are commonly found in highlands and are almost exclusively found in the states of
Oaxaca and southern
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
,
Mexico.
''C. baergi'' is the most abundant scorpion of the genus in the state of Oaxaca, making up a third of ''Centruroides'' reported between 2008 and 2014.
Venom
The three main toxins that make up the venom of ''C. baergi are
beta toxins.
'' These toxins modify the activation threshold of
sodium channels, making the channels more likely to open when normally they would not. Since sodium channels are widely found in the
peripheral nervous system, their opening can lead to severe
autonomic dysfunction. The two most harmful of these toxins can not be neutralized by the currently available
antibodies
An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
, likely due to the venom not being deemed medically important.
Some of the symptoms of a sting include intense pain, salivation, vomiting, breathing difficulties, tightness in the chest, muscle stiffness, tingling and sweating.
References
baergi
Scorpions described in 1932
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