This very informative and fascinating talk held the attention of all throughout the presentation. We learned of the different snakes, how the venom is produced in the glands of the head and discharged via the fangs.
The effects of a snake bite vary from weakness, discomfort, pain and tenderness in the muscles to muscle membrane damage to renal dysfunction and leucocytosis. It is imperative that treatment is begun as soon as is humanly possible as some snake bites are lethal if not treated immediately.
It is of critical importance to accurately describe the “culprit” snake so that the correct anti-venom can be administered. In remote areas, treatment can be difficult to organise as the anti-venoms are often expensive and need to be kept in controlled temperatures. This can mean that they are quite a distance away from the patient.
Although much progress has been made in this field, on-going research is necessary to continue making improvements in quality, storage, and length of validity of the anti-venom, and also to find ways of reducing costs, especially in the more remote areas of the region.
We thank Prof P Gopalakrishnakone for taking time out from his busy schedule in KK to present this fascinating talk.
