With close to 4,000 people being bitten by snakes in South Africa every year, concerns are being raised about the lack of anti-venom at local hospitals.

The problem does not only affect snake bite victims in South Africa but extends to other countries on the African continent that South Africa supplies stock to including Senegal and Ghana.

Johan Marais of the African Snakebite Institute said people living in mostly rural and outer-lying areas are most at risk.

Snake bite deaths

Speaking to IOL, Marais said of the 4,000 snake bites reported annually, between 12 and 24 people die while others often face loss of fingers, feet and hands, or serious tissue damage.

"The shortage has been an issue for the last three years. There have been various excuses given about why there is a shortage but the bottom line is, there is no stock and no production," Marais said.

He explained that anti-venom is manufactured by administering small doses to venom to horses, whose immune systems are able to create anti-bodies to the venom.

"This takes place over a period of nine months. Once this is done, we extract blood from the horse and then extract the serum from that to make the anti-venom," he said.

How is anti-venom made

When a person is bitten by a snake, and administered anti-venom, the anti-venom is able to find the venom and neutralise it.

He said that currently, South Africa imports anti-venom from India.

"This is for African snakes, and many of our hospitals already have it. The first problem with this is, because it is not a registered drug here in South Africa, a doctor cannot just buy and use it. The doctor has to apply to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for a dose and has to submit feedback. Also, the Indian product is not as effective as the anti-venom produced in South Africa so doctors have to use a double dose and this comes at a cost," Marais said.

Durban-based snake catcher, Nick Evans, said the whole ordeal is frustrating.

"It's important for human life," he said adding that in Durban at least one government and one private hospital still has stock.

Pets at risk

Evans said pets are also at risk of being bitten by a snake.

"If a dog is bitten by a black mamba it is really difficult to find anti-venom," he said.

Evans urged pet owners to lock their dogs away if they see the snake before their pet does to prevent the dog being bitten.

In December last year, the National Health Laboratory Service confirmed delays in anti-venom production.

This, the NHLS said was due to facility upgrades at the South African Vaccine Producers which led to a depletion of reserves.

At the time NHLS spokesperson, Mzi Gcukumana, said the renovation was to improve production efficiency.

No faith in government

Marais said he was not confident in government's interventions.

"They have done nothing in three years. Whether they are addressing it now or not, I don't have faith in believing what they tell me. I would like to see results," he said.

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

IOL

#snake

South Africa faces anti-venom crisis amid rising snake bite cases

KwaZulu-Natal man gets bitten by black mamba during prayer

Limpopo man sentenced for smoking dagga from bong containing a snake

PICS: Lucky break for massive Southern African python caught in electric fence