According to North Carolina State University researchers, the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus can cause pancreatitis. One specific venom enzyme targets specific proteins in the gland, impairing their functionality and causing inflammation in the pancreatic cells. Researchers discovered that although acute pancreatitis caused by scorpions is typically temporary and self-limited, it may develop into hemorrhagic pancreatitis and result in death in a separate study of a related species (T. stigmurus).