Passenger stung by scorpion on United flight from San Francisco to Atlanta

A passenger aboard a United Airlines flight was treated upon landing after being stung on the plane, according to the airline.

The passenger was traveling on flight 1554 from San Francisco to Atlanta on Thursday, United spokeswoman Natalie Noonan said in a statement. The flight crew consulted with a MedLink physician on the ground to provide medical guidance while still in the air, and the passenger was transported to a local hospital upon landing in Atlanta, Noonan said.

A scorpion was responsible for the sting, TMZ reported -- and included a photo of the offending arachnid.

The woman was stung after the scorpion crawled up her pant leg, TMZ reported. It was later caught by flight attendants, according to the outlet.

It is unclear how the scorpion got onto the plane, which had flown in from Washington, D.C. earlier that day, according to online flight records.

The airline has been in contact with the passenger "to ensure her well-being," Noonan said.

In 2017, a passenger was stung by a scorpion on a United Flight from Houston to Calgary. The sting was not life-threatening, physicians concluded.