Ovophis tonkinensis envenoming presenting with severe isolated thrombocytopenia and local necrosis: A case report

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  Image Credit: iNaturalist (c) randall_f –  some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Ovophis tonkinensis envenoming presenting with severe isolated thrombocytopenia and local necrosis: A case report Abstract Pit viper envenoming commonly causes venom-induced consumption coagulopathy with hypofibrinogenaemia. However, isolated thrombocytopenia without fibrinogen depletion is less recognised and may alter transfusion strategy. We report a confirmed  Ovophis tonkinensis  bite from northern Vietnam presenting with severe isolated thrombocytopenia and local necrosis. The case highlights the importance of serial platelet monitoring, awareness of fibrinogen availability and appropriate timing of antivenom and platelet support in resource-limited tropical settings. Duc ND, Hong Anh LN, Hong Khanh LN, Bach ND. Ovophis tonkinensis envenoming presenting with severe isolated thrombocytopenia and local necrosis: A case report. Tropical Doctor . 2026;0(0). doi: 10.1177/00494755261435153

New proposal for the systematic nomenclature of scorpion peptides

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New proposal for the systematic nomenclature of scorpion peptides

ABSTRACT


The systematic annotation of novel peptides found in the venom of scorpions needs revision. The commonly used two-letter acronym with the initials of the genus and the species is not discriminative and induces confusion. A new universal five-letter abbreviated code is here proposed. With this code, every species can be unambiguously identified. The code contains the initial capital letter of the genus, followed by four letters from the species. This code discriminates the large majority of the species. For the few others from the same genus and with coinciding initial letters of the species name, a change in the fifth letter ensures uniqueness. For scorpions belonging to different genera with identical initial letters and the same exact species name, a five-letter identifier can be generated by using two letters from the genus (in uppercase) and three letters from the species (in lowercase). Following this proposal, the peptides belonging to all scorpion species can be properly annotated.
Delgado-Prudencio, G., Becerril, B., Possani, L. D., & Ortiz, E. (2024). New proposal for the systematic nomenclature of scorpion peptides. Toxicon, 108192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.108192