Surveillance of venomous arthropods on a Nigerian Public University campus: An ecological study

Background: Venomous arthropods are arthropod species that use toxins for defense and offense. The objective of this study was to assess the biodiversity and abundance of venomous arthropods on the premises of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Pitfall traps, sticky, and bait traps, beating and knockdown, and active search and handpicking with forceps were the methods used to collect various arthropods on the university campus. The data collected during this study were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences version 23.0. Results: A total of 1,070 venomous arthropods were collected from the study areas, and they belong to four classes, six orders, fourteen families, and twenty-two species of the phylum Arthropoda. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that venomous arthropods are widespread on the NAU, Awka campus. Regular fumigation of the university premises is important in preventing human injuries, and infectious diseases carried by some arthropods.

Overview of protein posttranslational modifications in Arthropoda venoms

Accidents with venomous animals are a public health issue worldwide. Among the species involved in these accidents are scorpions, spiders, bees, wasps, and other members of the phylum Arthropoda. The knowledge of the function of proteins present in these venoms is important to guide diagnosis, therapeutics, besides being a source of a large variety of biotechnological active molecules. Although our understanding about the characteristics and function of arthropod venoms has been evolving in the last decades, a major aspect crucial for the function of these proteins remains poorly studied, the posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Comprehension of such modifications can contribute to better understanding the basis of envenomation, leading to improvements in the specificities of potential therapeutic toxins. Therefore, in this review, we bring to light protein/toxin PTMs in arthropod venoms by accessing the information present in the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot database, including experimental and putative inferences. Then, we concentrate our discussion on the current knowledge on protein phosphorylation and glycosylation, highlighting the potential functionality of these modifications in arthropod venom. We also briefly describe general approaches to study "PTM-functional-venomics", herein referred to the integration of PTM-venomics with a functional investigation of PTM impact on venom biology. Furthermore, we discuss the bottlenecks in toxinology studies covering PTM investigation. In conclusion, through the mining of PTMs in arthropod venoms, we observed a large gap in this field that limits our understanding on the biology of these venoms, affecting the diagnosis and therapeutics development. Hence, we encourage community efforts to draw attention to a better understanding of PTM in arthropod venom toxins.(AU)

Skin lesions simulating blue toe syndrome caused by prolonged contact with a millipede

Venomous animals are those that, by means of a hunting and defense mechanism, are able to inject their prey with a toxic substance produced in their bodies, directly from specialized glands (e.g., tooth, sting, spur) through which the poison passes. Millipedes are poisonous animals; they can be harmful to humans, and their effects usually manifest as erythematous, purpuric, and cyanotic lesions; local pain; and paresthesia. Here, we report a case of skin contact with a millipede for 6h resulting in skin lesions similar to blue toe syndrome.