As the warmer summer months approach, South Africans should anticipate that cold-blooded snakes would become active again.
Dr Kevin McEwen, a trauma doctor at Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital’s emergency department, said that while the number of people seeking treatment for snakebites was much higher in the summer, KwaZulu-Natal’s mild environment means snakes can be encountered all year.
“Snakes are far more likely to come into contact with people in the hotter months when they’re livelier and breeding,” McEwen said.
“That’s when we see an increase in the number of people seeking often lifesaving treatment for snakebites.”
He added that the black and green mambas are among the most dangerous snakes in the province.
“The cobras, including the spitting cobra, which has a mixture of nerve and cell venom, are also very dangerous,” McEwen said.
“While the bite of a puff adder is serious in terms of cell damage, we don’t see them around urban areas so much. They’re more likely to be found in the bush in places like northern KZN.”
What you do if you are bitten by a snake according to McEwen:
Remain calm. Keep your wits.
Take a thorough look at the snake if you are able to so you can identify it. Your doctor needs to know what snake bit you so that they can administer the right antivenom if necessary.
If you have a mobile camera, use it to picture the snake. Doctors communicate with some extremely competent herpetologists (snake specialists) and frequently send them images that patients have taken to help them accurately identify snakes.
Get to the hospital right away. The most critical step is to call for aid and get medical attention as soon as possible.
McEwen emphasised that people should not wait until symptoms appear before deciding they need care.
“Don’t take a ‘wait and see’ approach to snakebites. Neurotoxic venom can start working as rapidly as within half an hour. Immediately call for an ambulance or get someone to take you straight to hospital so we can monitor you in a safe environment to see how the symptoms progress.”
IOL