Scorpion stows away in traveler's jacket on flight from Kos to Düsseldorf

A scorpion that had been hiding in a passenger's jacket stung her after her flight from the Greek island of Kos landed in Düsseldorf, the city's fire department said.

The woman, 52, was stung when she reached into her jacket after the plane touched down on Friday, August 21, fire officials said. Airport emergency medical staff treated her at the scene, and she was then taken to a hospital by ambulance.

A reptile expert working with the fire brigade identified the animal as a yellow Mediterranean scorpion, also known as the deathstalker. The species is considered among the most venomous in the world and can be fatal to a child, according to the report. The expert later caught the scorpion.

The lead emergency physician for the city of Düsseldorf consulted a poison control hotline, the hospital and the reptile expert before doctors decided on further treatment, the fire department said. Based on her symptoms, the woman was then transferred to a university hospital clinic.

The scorpion was taken to a reptile zoo afterward, fire officials said. No further details on the passenger's condition or the airline involved appear in available accounts of the incident.