British expat in UAE warns campers after scorpion sting left him in a coma

A British expatriate in the UAE who went into a coma for three days after getting stung by a scorpion is urging fellow campers to be on high alert against creepy crawlies in the desert.

Campsite in Hatta where Steve Bradford was stung by a scorpion. Courtesy Steve Bradford

DUBAI // A man spent three days in a coma and six days in intensive care after he was stung by a scorpion while camping in the desert.

Steve Bradford, 34, a British expatriate, also suffered life-threatening breathing difficulties in what experts described as a “rare reaction” to scorpion venom.

"I'd gone camping with friends near the dunes in Hatta," said Mr Bradford, a facilities manager at Motor City. "I stood on a black scorpion, which was partly burrowed.

“It stung me on my right ankle and I went into shock for 10 minutes and began vomiting. Its venom was neurological poison and my nerves went crazy.”

The sting caused acute respiratory distress syndrome, in which the immune system thins the blood and causes the lungs to fill with blood.

“About 10 minutes after arriving in the hospital, I went in to a coma for three days. I was transferred to the Dubai Hospital from the hospital in Hatta and stayed in the ICU for six days and a general ward for a week,” Mr Bradford said.

“It was quite touch and go. The toxin had taken such control over my body, I couldn’t walk for several days without support.”

Although most campers know about the presence of black scorpions in the dunes, Mr Bradford said few knew how to handle a sting.

"I believe there needs to be more awareness. I was wearing flip-flops that day. It is important to take the right precautions as there are venomous creatures in the desert."

He said wearing desert boots and using an ultraviolet light to sweep the area for scorpions could prevent accidents such as his. Scorpions glow or assume a yellow to green colour when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Experts said reactions to scorpion and insect bites depended on the victim’s immune system.

“Usually scorpion bites cause excruciating pain and swelling,” said Dr Reza Khan, a wildlife and zoo expert at Dubai Municipality. “This is a very rare case. But some people are allergic to chemicals in the venom. Everybody may not respond in the same way.”

Moosa Swaidan, who goes camping regularly, said this was the season for desert camping and scorpions.

“Scorpions come out when the weather is neither too hot nor cold and the weather is now perfect,” he said.

“I went camping last weekend in the Hatta rocks and in one night I found one black scorpion and two golden scorpions near my tent. In fact, golden scorpion stings are worse. If not treated, they could be fatal.”

He said they were often spotted near rocks. “Scorpions are curious creatures, unlike snakes. They are easily threatened and are very aggressive. Scorpions are to be watched out for during the next month or two.”

Cynthia Barwise Joubert, head of invertebrates at the Sharjah Wildlife and Breeding Centre, said it was important to remain calm in case of a scorpion sting or a snake bite.

“The more you move and panic, the poison affects you quicker,” she said. “It makes the poison a lot stronger.”

She advised treating a scorpion sting in the same way as a snake bite.

“Elevate the part of the body where the sting is, apply pressure to the area and put ice on.”

Ms Joubert also recommended wearing closed shoes during camping trips and shaking sleeping bags out before using them.