One-Year-Old Boy in Serious Condition After Venomous Scorpion Sting in Israel

A one-year-old boy is hospitalized in serious condition after being stung by a highly venomous yellow scorpion inside his family’s home in the community of Meitzad, near Yerushalayim, overnight Monday into Tuesday. The child, identified as Elazar ben Hodiya, was rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center after developing severe breathing difficulties and a reduced level of consciousness.

Emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the home after the toddler suffered a dangerous reaction to the sting. Upon arriving, responders found him semi-conscious, struggling to breathe and displaying signs of a potentially life-threatening reaction.

United Hatzalah volunteer medic Eitan Saar, who was among the first responders, administered an emergency injection of adrenaline to stabilize the child.

Saar said that family members informed rescue personnel that the boy had been stung by a scorpion and subsequently developed a severe reaction that placed his life in immediate danger. Following the administration of adrenaline and additional emergency treatment, the child was transported to Hadassah Ein Kerem.

According to Saar, the toddler was in moderate and stable condition at the time of evacuation, although subsequent reports described his condition as serious.

Tzevet Hatzalah volunteers Yoni Pindrus and Chaim Silber, who also responded to the emergency, said they were directed into the family’s home, where they discovered the young child suffering from respiratory distress and reduced consciousness.

Working alongside Magen David Adom paramedics and other emergency personnel, the volunteers administered an EpiPen injection and provided oxygen before transferring the toddler to an intensive care ambulance for urgent transport to the hospital.

Yellow scorpions, which are found in various regions of Israel, are considered particularly dangerous because of their potent venom. Young children face an elevated risk of serious complications because of their smaller body size and the venom’s potentially severe effects on the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

In serious cases, a scorpion sting can lead to breathing difficulties, abnormal heart rhythms, neurological complications, and other life-threatening symptoms requiring immediate medical intervention.

Emergency medical officials stress that anyone stung by a potentially venomous scorpion should seek urgent medical attention, particularly when the victim is a young child.

The family is asking Klal Yisroel to recite Tehillim and daven for the complete recovery of their young son, Elazar ben Hodiya, who remains hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem.

Please say Tehillim for Elazar ben Hodiya.