Universal snake antivenin

[La Leona]

Okavango air rescue info sheet lists equipment and procedures carried during emergency rescues with their medevac helicopters. Among the drugs and medicine they list a "universal snake antivenin".

A superficial search of the web came up with the trial stage in 2022/2023 of a new drug from Ophirex in pill form. But that's not on the market yet.

So what kind of universal antivenin could they have on board and is it something available for the general public?

[Fred56]

Okavango air rescue info sheet lists equipment and procedures carried during emergency rescues with their medevac helicopters. Among the drugs and medicine they list a "universal snake antivenin".

A superficial search of the web came up with the trial stage in 2022/2023 of a new drug from Ophirex in pill form. But that's not on the market yet.

So what kind of universal antivenin could they have on board and is it something available for the general public?

Anti-Venom is not usually available to general public, has to be applied by a doctor under conditions as it can have a serve reaction to the patient.

[Karol]

The main or most used is the polyvalent antivenom -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_antivenom

The only SA snakebite that needs treatment from another anti venom is the Boomslang & saw scaled vipers according to the wiki chart at the link

[Fred56]

Just as a matter of interest, a well known snake rescuer in the Western Cape was tagged by a Cape Cobra last week, he received immediate care and anti venom.
Sadly he passed on due to " complications "

[KrokODell]

Nope. There is no such thing as an 'universal' antivenom.

Antivenom is species specific. Almost always. You get a polyvalent antivenom (PVA), meaning it has antivenom for several species in one vial. But said PVA will not work in South Africa, and West Africa and Australia and Europe etc. It will very much be area specific.

There is also no way an oral (pill form) antivenom can be effective:
1) antivenom is a protein - ingesting it will result in digesting it, making it ineffective
2) a person severely affected by the venom won't be able to swallow/ingest a pill...

There has been intermittent shortages of antivenom in South Africa due to several reasons and as such there is now also an option to import antivenom (on special permit) - it covers several African species and the major lethal ones in SA.

[Francois Theron]

Just as a matter of interest, a well known snake rescuer in the Western Cape was tagged by a Cape Cobra last week, he received immediate care and anti venom.
Sadly he passed on due to " complications "

Sorry but who are you talking about?

[Karol]

Nope. There is no such thing as an 'universal' antivenom.

Antivenom is species specific. Almost always. You get a polyvalent antivenom (PVA), meaning it has antivenom for several species in one vial. But said PVA will not work in South Africa, and West Africa and Australia and Europe etc. It will very much be area specific.

There is also no way an oral (pill form) antivenom can be effective:
1) antivenom is a protein - ingesting it will result in digesting it, making it ineffective
2) a person severely affected by the venom won't be able to swallow/ingest a pill...

There has been intermittent shortages of antivenom in South Africa due to several reasons and as such there is now also an option to import antivenom (on special permit) - it covers several African species and the major lethal ones in SA.

According to this wikipeadia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_antivenom

Most South African snake species bites are treated with SAIMR polyvalent antivenom

[Fred56]

Sorry but who are you talking about?

Rico Pentz RIP

[lekhubu943]

Anti-venom needs to be given under very, very controlled circumstances. Our late Dr Stan used to say with a trauma team at the ready.

Anaphylaxis due to an allergic reaction against the anti-venom will kill the patient very fast.

Also not all snake bites require anti-venom by default. General approach is to treat symptomatically first. I know of two people who survived black mamba bites without anti-venom. One spend a month in ICU on a ventilator to breathe for him, but he lived.

Only exception is boomslang bites which will require anti-venom due to the bleeding caused.

[Karol]

here is a pdf of the medicine insert of the SAIMR polyvalent ampule - Interestingly the anti venom is only a Shedule 2 ( S2) medicine, that means you don't need a prescription.

https://www.antivenoms.toxinfo.med.t...2011-07-04.pdf

[Chuckzoo]

Okavango air rescue info sheet lists equipment and procedures carried during emergency rescues with their medevac helicopters. Among the drugs and medicine they list a "universal snake antivenin".

A superficial search of the web came up with the trial stage in 2022/2023 of a new drug from Ophirex in pill form. But that's not on the market yet.

So what kind of universal antivenin could they have on board and is it something available for the general public?

It appears that they are going for FDA approval -
US based company

https://www.ophirex.com/20220314-oph...-for-snakebite

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9695340/

[La Leona]

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitut...out-antivenom/

A very good summary on the history production and effects of polyvalent antivenin in southern Africa.
Perhaps of interest to others as little informed as myself

I guess that the future new universal antivenin in pill form will be a different thing to target the general public?

[Fred56]

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitut...out-antivenom/

A very good summary on the history production and effects of polyvalent antivenin in southern Africa.
Perhaps of interest to others as little informed as myself

I guess that the future new universal antivenin in fill form will be a different thing to target the general public?

The African Snake Bite Institution should be the go to for any information regarding snakes a snake bites.
There are some really knowlegable people on there with regards to snake bite, emergency treatment and identification.
They also offer various courses on the handling of venomous snakes.

Just my 2c.

[KrokODell]

The African Snake Bite Institution should be the go to for any information regarding snakes a snake bites.
There are some really knowlegable people on there with regards to snake bite, emergency treatment and identification.
They also offer various courses on the handling of venomous snakes.

Just my 2c.

Even better - https://snakebiteassist.co.za/

Arno advices medical doctors on bite treatment.

[KrokODell]

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitut...out-antivenom/

A very good summary on the history production and effects of polyvalent antivenin in southern Africa.
Perhaps of interest to others as little informed as myself

I guess that the future new universal antivenin in pill form will be a different thing to target the general public?

It would be amazing if a drug like this actualy works, and is readily available to rural communities.

EDIT: Ill do more research on its target species

[Chuckzoo]

Even better - https://snakebiteassist.co.za/

Arno advices medical doctors on bite treatment.

That's great, but when we and other who out in the bundu with no doctors within a 100 km radius it would be great if we had something that could potentially save a life.

Time is of the essence.

[Chuckzoo]

Rico Pentz RIP

Very sad;

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/sou...of-cobra-bite/

[lancelot]

Just as a matter of interest, a well known snake rescuer in the Western Cape was tagged by a Cape Cobra last week, he received immediate care and anti venom.
Sadly he passed on due to " complications "

Looks like he was bitten by a Snouted Cobra which is not endemic to the Western Cape