The low potency of cobra antivenom has been an area of concern in immunotherapy for cobra envenomation. This study sought to investigate factors limiting the neutralizing potency of cobra antivenom, using a murine model. We examined the immunological reactivity and neutralizing potency of a Thai polyvalent antivenom against the principal toxins of Naja sumatrana (Equatorial spitting cobra) veno...

Neutralization of hyperalgesia induced by Bothrops jararaca and B. asper venoms was studied in rats using bothropic antivenom produced at Instituto Butantan (AVIB, 1 ml neutralizes 5 mg B. jararaca venom) and polyvalent antivenom produced at Instituto Clodomiro Picado (AVCP, 1 ml neutralizes 2.5 mg B. aspar venom). The intraplantar injection of B. jararaca and B. asper venoms caused hyperalgesi...

BACKGROUND Snake envenoming is a major clinical problem in Sri Lanka, with an estimated 40,000 bites annually. Antivenom is only available from India and there is a high rate of systemic hypersensitivity reactions. This study aimed to investigate whether the rate of infusion of antivenom reduced the frequency of severe systemic hypersensitivity reactions. METHODS AND FINDINGS This was a rando...

Venomous snakebite is considered the single most important cause of human injury from venomous animals worldwide. Coagulopathy is one of the commonest important systemic clinical syndromes and can be complicated by serious and life-threatening haemorrhage. Venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC) is the commonest coagulopathy resulting from snakebite and occurs in envenoming by Viperid sna...

BACKGROUND The worldwide neglect of immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of snakebite has resulted in a critical paucity of effective, safe and affordable therapy in many Third World countries, particularly in Africa. Snakebite ranks high among the most neglected global health problems, with thousands of untreated victims dying or becoming permanently maimed in developing countries each...

Snakebite is a common medical emergency in developing countries in tropical regions. The only specific treatment is antivenom [1], but this is often unavailable in remote health centres, due to market failure [2,3]. In the 1980s in Africa, 150,000 to 200,000 doses of antivenom were sold annually, whereas current sales have fallen to less than 20,000 doses per year. The price of a vial of antive...

BACKGROUND Hemolyis of red blood cells is a serious toxic effect commonly found among patients envenomed by Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to evlaute the efficay of the avaible polyvalent antivneom in preventing this phenomena. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using a red blood cell fragility test, the anti-hemolytic effectiveness of a new antivenom serum a...

In autumn 2014, with great effort by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the research group will obtain several vials of redback spider (RBS) antivenom for emergency use. However, these small amounts of antivenom are insufficient to cover the demands from majority of hospitals in Japan. The research group carefully discussed the domestic RBS antivenom production by themselves for this e...

Antivenom is the mainstay of treatment of snakebite envenoming. However, adverse reactions to snake antivenom that is available are common in many parts of the world where snakebite is prevalent. Both acute (anaphylactic or pyrogenic) and delayed (serum sickness type) reactions occur. Acute reactions are usually mild but severe systemic anaphylaxis may develop, often within an hour or so of exp...