Toxicity
Margatoxin can have several different effects on the body. These are listed below.
| Acute effects |
|---|
| May cause skin irritation |
| May be harmful if absorbed through the skin |
| May cause eye irritation |
| May be harmful if inhaled |
| Material may be irritating to mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract |
| May be harmful if swallowed |
| Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause allergic
reactions in certain sensitive individuals |
| May be fatal if enters bloodstream |
The chronic effects include the following target organs: heart, nerves, lungs, skeleton and muscles.
The median lethal dose (LD50) of margatoxin is 59.9 mg/kg, so Centruroides margaritatus stings are not dangerous to humans except as a result of possible anaphylactic responses. They do cause pain, local swelling and tingling for 3–4 hours, but no intervention beyond symptomatic relief should be necessary.
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