Local anti venom for exotic species

[Clive b]

Hi

I was wondering if someone could assist me with some more information.

Are there any exotic higly venomous snakes which, if someone got tagged our local polyvalent anti venom would work?

I have heard our polyvalent would work on Red spitters (Naja pallida) and West African Gaboon (Bitis g rhinoceros)
Are there any others? Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks
Clive

[Jacquesvw]

Our polyvalent anti venom is rated to work for the West African Gaboon (Bitis rhinoceros).

[michael]

This is taken off the South African Vaccine Producers website. The polyvalent antivenom produced is effective against;

Puff adder (Bitis arietans)
Gaboon adder (Bitis gabonica)
Rinkhals (Haemachatus haemachatus)
Green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps)
Jameson's mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni)
Black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)
Cape cobra (Naja nivea)
Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca)
Snouted Cobra previously ' Egyptian cobra' (Naja annulifera) and the
Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja Mossambica)

I have read somewhere that our polyvalent antivenom may also be effective against some exotic cobras, but without proper references I won’t be mentioning any species.http://www.savp.co.za/Products.htm

[Bushviper]

It has been tested for Bitis parviocular as well and it works. As far as I can recall if would also work on Bitis nasicornis too.

It has been tried on some Naja kouthia bites in the US and was reported to work. Locally we tried it and it did not work.

It would be a brave doctor who tries to use this off pamphlet on a serious bite.

[imperial exotix]

So if somebody is bitten by an exotic snake that the anti venom does not work on, what would happen? Is they anything that the doctors can do to help the snake bite victim?

[Kakibos]

I think the doctors would be able to treat you,(although the doctors in RSA will not have experience in exotic snake bites)
For neurotoxic bites they can treat your symptoms and if in need they
can put you on a ventilator and wait it out.
I think for cytotoxic bites you are going to be in for a tough time. According to my limited knowledge the
cell destroying effect of the venom can only be stopped by anti venom. So no anti venom can cause you to lose a limb or your blood pressure can rise which can lead to a heart attack, or shock if the blood pressure drops.
It all depends on how serious the bite is.
What if the snake has neurotoxic and cytotoxic venom combined, that will be bad.
That is my reason for not keeping exotic hots. I do not want to take a chance if I get bitten.

And another thing, I think a hospital bill for an exotic hot bite will be extremely high.

[NewtTZ]

According to the World Health Organisation Anti Venom is the only recognised successful treatment for a venomous snake bite.

World wide estimates indicate that up to 100 000 people die from venomous snake bites each year, so death from a bite from an exotic venomous snake is a real possibility.

Deaths from snake bite are very low in Australia which has some seriously venomous snakes due to good anti venom.

[Bushviper]

There are some of the snakes which the doctors could not help you with. This includes the taipans and most of the Aussie and New Guinea elapids, the South American Bothrops species and Central American rattlers and then some of the Asian elapids and vipers.

Trying to treat something like a Russels viper bite without antivenom is going to be an exercise in futility.

[Clive b]

Does any body know if it will work on a Black neck spitters bite ?

[Bushviper]

Clive it would probably work however it is up to the physician whether he is going to take a chance to inject you with a medication for a bite where the treatment is not indicated on the pamphlet. What this means is even if you ask the doctor to inject you, he/she can refuse to use SAVP polyvalent.

[Robain]

You said it did not work for Naja kouthia, what happened in that case? Has it been tried again? Are there any more bite histories for Naja kouthia in SA?

[Warren Klein]

I have also heard of neostigmine being used to treat Death adder bites where antivenom was not available.