A stingray injury is caused by the venomous tail spines, stingers or dermal denticles of rays in the order Myliobatiformes, most significantly those belonging to the families Dasyatidae, Urotrygonidae, Urolophidae, and Potamotrygonidae.

[citation needed] Contact with the stinger causes local trauma (from the cut itself), pain, swelling, and muscle cramps from the venom, and possible later infection from bacteria[3] or fungi.

[12] Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, extreme pain at the wound, muscle cramps, and a laceration at the puncture site.

[13] Pain normally lasts up to 48 hours, but is most severe in the first 30–60 minutes and may be accompanied by nausea, fatigue, spreading cramps, headaches, fever, and chills.

[citation needed] Stingray wounds have also been found to bleed for a relatively long time following the initial puncture, although there is no evidence that the secreted venom possesses anti-coagulant properties, as some have previously believed.

A theory that hot water denatures the stingray venom has been questioned because the temperatures required would need to penetrate deeply into the puncture wound and would likely cause thermal damage to surrounding tissue.