Man Stung By Scorpion At Airport Check-In Counter

[matcom]

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- While at a check-in counter at Auckland International Airport, Dale Rodel was really bugged. No, really: He was stung by a scorpion.

"I felt this stabbing like a piece of glass. At first I thought it was a spider so wasn't too worried. When I saw it was a scorpion, I took a step back," Rodel said Thursday.

Investigators from New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said they were working to ascertain the origin of the scorpion, which is foreign to New Zealand.

Rodel, 19, of Napier on New Zealand's North Island, suffered mild pain and swelling of his foot after being stung by the insect. He said his injuries were mild, and went away after about eight hours.

Rodel had recently returned from a holiday in South Africa but did not believe the scorpion had hitched a ride in his luggage.

New Zealand, which has stringent quarantine regulations, has no venomous insects or snakes.

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