Brazilian girl killed by South America's most dangerous scorpion

The Brazilian yellow scorpion, or by its scientific name Tityus serrulatus, is considered the most venomous scorpion in South America.

 The Brazilian yellow scorpion, or the Tityus serrulatus. (photo credit: Luísa Mota/Flickr)
The Brazilian yellow scorpion, or the Tityus serrulatus.
(photo credit: Luísa Mota/Flickr)

A five-year-old girl died last week after being stung by a Brazilian yellow scorpion, one of the most dangerous scorpions in the world, Brazilian media reported.

Isabelly Stefani Morais was stung by the creature in Nucleo Rural do Rio Preto, near Brasilia - the capital of Brazil. The yellow scorpion is the most venomous in South America. 

According to local news, the girl was stung on May 15 and rushed by her parents to a nearby clinic in the area. However, the appropriate antidote was not available to treat her, and medics were forced to evacuate her to another medical center. Members of Morais's family said that she was referred to several hospitals, but nowhere had the serum for the deadly venom.

She was eventually taken to a hospital in the city of Formosa, which did possess. However, by this time, it was too late.

Girl pronounced dead after arriving at hospital

She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, according to local media.

Later that day, a spokeswoman for the Formosa police station announced that the girl's body had been released to her family. Forensic medicine experts performed a toxicology report on her body. The report's findings have not yet been published. 

The Brazilian yellow scorpion, or the Tityus serrulatus, is considered the most venomous scorpion in South America. 

Its appearance is slightly reminiscent of the Deathstalker, or yellow scorpion, the most venomous scorpion in Israel. The Brazilian scorpion can reportedly reach 7 cm in length and lives mainly in the rainforests and near the banks of large bodies of water.