A stowaway scorpion has surprised an unsuspecting airline passenger for the third time in as many months.
NBC Chicago reported a passenger was stung by a scorpion aboard an AeroMexico flight from Mexico City to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Monday night.
The 32-year-old man was stung on his right elbow while the plane was in flight.
Chicago fire officials were called to the airport around 11 p.m. local time Monday. Despite having been stung about two hours into the four-hour flight, the man refused medical treatment.
"The passenger was seen by paramedics upon arrival," the airline said in a statement, adding that the man "showed no adverse reaction to the sting and left in stable condition."
"Aeromexico is committed with its passengers and crew safety as it is our top priority in every operation," the carrier stated.
Passengers said that they were held on the plane when emergency personnel arrived and weren't really sure what was going on. "There was a call for a medical personnel because there was an emergency on board," passenger Monica Amborn told NBC Chicago. "We didn't really know what it was."
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Monday's incident comes less than a month after a scorpion was discovered aboard a United Airlines flight preparing for takeoff from Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Although no one was stung, that incident prompted an evacuation of the plane and a three-hour delay.
Another passenger was stung on a United flight from Houston to Calgary in April when a scorpion fell onto his head.
According to the Mayo Clinic, scorpion stings are extremely rare, with fewer than 20,000 cases reported in the U.S. each year. While sometimes painful, most stings are harmless and rarely require treatment.
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