A 52-year-old passenger was taken to hospital after being stung by a scorpion at Düsseldorf Airport on Friday. The animal had apparently travelled unnoticed inside the woman’s jacket following her return to Germany from the Greek island of Kos.
According to Düsseldorf’s fire department, emergency services were called after the woman was stung at the airport. Paramedics initially treated her at the scene before transporting her to hospital. During the journey, she remained responsive and reported pain around the sting, which was described as being similar to a wasp sting.
Due to the unusual nature of the incident, emergency personnel consulted Germany’s poison control centre as well as a reptile specialist and an emergency doctor. The passenger was subsequently transferred to Düsseldorf University Hospital for further treatment and monitoring. No further information regarding her current condition has been released.
Meanwhile, a reptile specialist from the Düsseldorf fire department was called to capture the scorpion. The animal was secured without further incident and later transferred to a reptile zoo near Düsseldorf.
Authorities have not provided further details on the species of scorpion involved or explained exactly how the animal managed to remain hidden in the passenger’s clothing during her journey from Kos.
