ANTI-VENOM SAVES BOY’S LIFE

MBABANE – An intervention by the Eswatini Anti-venom Foundation saved the life of a 12-year-old boy after he was bitten by a snake.
The boy, *Sizwe, was bitten by a puff adder while walking in a bush to his home at night.

Thea Litschka-koen, the Founder of the Eswatini Anti-venom Foundation, said the boy was so infuriated by the snake’s behaviour that he stamped on it, beat it to death and took it home where he fed it to his cat.

Thea said Sizwe was taken to the clinic where the foundation came in to assist with his treatment. He was then discharged after being monitored for 24 hours.
She mentioned that his recovery looked promising as he had received treatment in good time, using sufficient anti-venom and should have fully recuperated in two to three weeks.

“These bites are extremely painful, and it will take this long before he will be able to walk and run normally. But he was incredibly brave during the treatment, I am confident he will overcome this bite in no time,” she said.

 Thea also mentioned that the foundation would continue visiting the boy’s home, Vuvulane, to monitor his healing progress.

antidotes

When asked if they were helping because the healthcare facilities in the country did not have anti-venom, she said several facilities in high-risk areas had the anti-venom.

She also said there were instances when the product was unavailable as anti-venom was generally an expensive commodity and at times, the manufacturer ran out of stock too.
She expanded on how the foundation not only relied on the courses it provided during the summer but stated that it was financially supported by companies too.
The summer courses helped them raise awareness and promote the correct first-aid.

She said people in the Lowveld should be especially careful this time of the year as it was the puff adders’ mating season and they were generally out on the loose in autumn and spring.

She said: “The hospitals and clinics in the Lowveld are the busiest when it comes to snakebites. During the summer months, there can be several bites every day. It is estimated that Eswatini treats approximately 200-400 snakebites every season. The foundation helps where we can.”
fatal
Elaborating, she mentioned that snakebites did not need to be fatal.
“Anti-venom works very well if it is administered in time and in sufficient quantities to neutralise the venom. The problem that we face is the incorrect first-aid, as it is species-specific and can complicate the treatment and outcome of the bite.

“Another problem we have is the time it takes to travel to a medical facility. With neurotoxin snakes such as the Black Mamba, a victim will need assistance breathing within 20-60 minutes, depending on the severity of the bite and the size of the victim,” she said.

Talking about cytotoxic bites, she emphasised that the venom destroyed the tissue and seldom killed. She said as more minutes passed, more damage was done to the tissue.  “If the victim does not receive anti-venom, or if there is a delay in receiving anti-venom, the consequences can be tragic.

“As for exotic species, we will treat the victim symptomatically and with the contacts we have in South Africa, obtain the necessary anti-venom. However, I would just like to stress that anyone with an exotic venomous snake should have an emergency protocol, and the relevant anti-venom to treat the bite,” she highlighted.

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