A woman was stung by a scorpion at Boston Logan International Airport Sunday. The 40-year-old was retrieving her luggage from baggage claim when it attacked.
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A woman was stung at an airport in Boston Sunday evening when she picked up her luggage at baggage claim, according to local reports.
The woman, age 40, was stung at around 7:30 p.m. at Boston Logan International Airport, according to Massachusetts State Police. She was taken immediately to a hospital.
She was on a return flight from Mexico, according to WCVB-TV. State police did not respond to questions about the woman’s condition, but scorpion stings rarely put lives at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
When reached for comment by USA TODAY, airport authorities referred all questions about the incident to state police. It’s not clear what kind of scorpion injured the woman or how it got to the airport.
Scorpions are not usually found in the Boston area. In the United States, they mainly inhabit the Southwest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Over 2,000 species exist worldwide. They typically live in deserts.
Boston Logan is a major hub in the Northeast and sees tens of thousands of flights a month. Last February the airport saw 22,533 domestic flights and 3,657 international flights. Most of the international flights come from the Caribbean and Europe, according to airport data.
How bad can a scorpion sting be?
Scorpion stings can cause intense pain but rarely result in serious injury, according to the CDC. Most stings may only require medical attention for pain management and wound care, including a potential tetanus shot.
Venom from some species, however, can cause severe illness and affect the nervous system, heart and other organs, health authorities say. Symptoms can include arrhythmias, uncontrollable muscle spasms and shock.
Children and older adults are most at risk of complications, according to the Mayo Clinic. Around 100 of the some 2,000 species of scorpions worldwide produce venom serious enough to be fatal.
Scorpions are most active at night and won’t sting unless provoked or attacked. Most stings happen when they’ve accidentally been grabbed or stepped on, the Mayo Clinic says.
Snakes – almost – on a plane
A scorpion, whether it’s stowed away on a plane or not, isn’t the most threatening thing to turn up at an airport in the U.S.
The Transportation Security Administration regularly posts on its social media page about the dangerous items its agents find at U.S. airports.
- Someone tried bringing a handgun tucked into the back of a stroller at an airport in Houston in November.
- In May 2024, a traveler tried bringing a pair of live snakes. “There’s nothing ssssssensational about choosing to hide danger noodles in the pants you’re wearing,” the agency wrote online.
- At Midway International Airport in Chicago someone attempted to smuggle an e-cigarette inside a Colgate toothpaste tube last February.
- Last month, a passenger sought to bring a set of knives through airport security in St. Louis by stashing them inside a cane.
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