IF YOU are bitten by a venomous snake, be warned!
There is a dire shortage of antivenom in the country.
In KwaZulu Natal, snake hotspots include Westville, Shongweni and Chatsworth
With the annual ‘snake season’ fast approaching, concern has been raised about the shortage of antivenom.
Health Portfolio chairperson Imran Keeka said a report by the CEO of the African Snakebite Institute, Johan Marais, in the Farmer’s Weekly publication, stated that no antivenom was being produced at the moment by the South African Vaccine Producers.
“The only treatment for serious snakebite envenomation is antivenom. The South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP), part of our National Health Laboratories, produce two snake antivenoms for Southern African snakes – a monovalent Boomslang antivenom that is seldom used, as the Boomslang rarely bites, and a polyvalent antivenom that is made from the venom of ten different snakes,” said Marais.
“It covers bites from cobras, mambas, Rinkhals, Puff Adder and Gaboon Adder. Antivenom is only administered in hospitals as, like many other drugs, the patient may experience side effects. Up to 45% of patients who are treated with SAVP’s antivenom experience anaphylactic shock. Outside of a hospital environment, anaphylaxis can be difficult to manage and can lead to fatalities.”
Marais said since the onset of Covid 19, the SAVP had experienced production problems, and over the past few years, there had been multiple instances when antivenom was in severe short supply. Veterinarians have had great difficulty in sourcing antivenom, and many dogs died as they could not be treated after a snakebite, he said.
“The current situation is dire, and it appears that SAVP has no stock, and nothing is being produced. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get any answers from SAVP, but in a recent email, they confirmed that they could not supply antivenom at present. Most major hospitals in high-risk areas carry some antivenom but often have far too little in stock. For a serious snakebite, the initial dosage is around 6-12 vials of polyvalent antivenom, and additional vials may be required,” said Marais.
He added that an alternative antivenom called Pan African Premium is currently being imported under Section 21 of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and it appears to be a good alternative.
“It costs about the same as the SAVP polyvalent antivenom but requires twice the dosage, thus double the price. It also requires a great deal of paperwork in order to purchase it.”
Keeka said antivenom being imported from other countries, may not be suited to local snake species.
“There is no lack of venom in our country as snake catchers have them, the issue is that antivenom is not being produced in the country,” said Keeka.
He added that he had sent questions to the KZN MEC for Health to establish the stock levels in the province’s 68 hospitals.
“It can take weeks to receive a response. In the interim, I’ve sent my concern to the chairman of the National Health Portfolio Committee, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, MP. This is because the management of the production and distribution of antivenom to provinces is the competency of the National Health Laboratory Services. This matter needs to be looked into urgently and certainly prioritised lest we find ourselves in a situation where one loss of life will be too much.”
Nick Evans, a professional snake catcher said that during the year they received multiple calls to remove snakes from yards.
He said that areas near nature reserves or valleys were hotspots for snakes, including Westville, Shongweni and Chatsworth.
“A few other snake catchers and I network together in Durban; we get calls daily to remove snakes. Most of the time snakes are not venomous, so we tell them to leave the snake to be. Collectively we have gotten over 100 cases where it is venomous. We then remove the snake and release them to different areas away from people.”
He added that people should not try to catch or kill a venomous snake as they will retaliate.
“People should try to keep their yards clean and not have rubble laying around as these could attract snakes, so being tidy lowers the risk. You should also keep your dogs away from snakes, if your dog is seen barking at a snake, you should do whatever it takes to get your dog away, except jumping between the snake and dog,” said Evans.
If anyone has a snake in their yard, they can contact Nick Evans on- 072 809 5806