Victims of snake bites in Venezuela suffer from lack of anti-venom

In Venezuela, when a girl was bitten by a snake, her family opted for using traditional remedies, injecting her with gazelle urine along with anti-venom, but her leg was later amputated. 

In this tropical country, misconceptions about snakebites prevail, leading many to resort to treatments of questionable effectiveness.

To counter misleading information, the non-governmental organization "Vivarium Foundation" provides educational lectures and operates a hotline for victims of snakebites.

Alexander Puerta (53 years old) received a text message in which the sender stated, "Bitten on the left leg with swelling in the lower left limb, at 06:40 am."

Experts request information about the victim and photos of the snake, if possible, to determine its species.

The NGO asks questions to rule out false alarms before activating its protocol, which acts as a liaison with health authorities, consulting doctors, and identifying hospitals equipped with anti-venoms.

Fernando Yanes, an expert at the "Vivarium Foundation," stated that the NGO received over 700 calls in 2022.

"Our dream is to be able to cover the costs of tests, provide anti-venoms, and follow up with the patients," he said, adding that the organization currently operates on a low budget from member contributions.

The most common question is where to obtain anti-venoms, which are produced by only one laboratory in Caracas and are scarce in public hospitals.
The cost of a set of five injections in pharmacies can reach $500, while more severe cases require additional doses, a heavy financial burden in a country where the minimum wage is $4.50 per month.

Venezuela is home to around 200 snake species, approximately five of which are highly venomous.

There are no official numbers, but independent estimates indicate that around 10,000 people are bitten each year, with 60 deaths as a result.

Luis Fernando Navarrete, a reptile expert who manages a snake aquarium at the "Tropical Medicine Institute" of the Central University of Venezuela, said, "It is a public health problem because Venezuela is among the top 10 to 15 countries with the highest rates of snakebite incidence and deaths."

The World Health Organization estimates that 5.4 million people are bitten by snakes every year, resulting in between 80,000 and 130,000 deaths, mostly in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Before delivering a speech in a nature reserve in Valencia, Carabobo State (central Venezuela), Puerta stated that the shortage of anti-venoms is a "global scourge," stressing that snakes are an integral part of balanced ecosystems.

He added, "Unfortunately, in our culture, the only good snake is a dead snake."



AFP