The World Health Oranisation (WHO) has officially recognised and classified a snakebite as a neglected tropical disease. This is in light of an increasing number of fatalities resulting from these cold blooded slithering creatures. In addition, the recognition will make antivenom easily accessible.
138,000 deaths globally
The less fortunate are most frequently impacted by snakebites, resulting in an estimated 138,000 deaths worldwide each year. This due to their inability to pay for treatment or travel to medical facilities. These facilities house the life-saving antivenom.
In addition to the fatalities, hundreds of thousands of snakebite victims suffer severe injuries each year. These include loss of limbs or eyes.
Recognition aims to make the costly antivenom accessible
The WHO recognition aims to save more lives. And health professionals believe antivenom needs to become cheaper, safer and easier to access.
South African doctor Constantinos Kurt Wibmer disclosed that he is working on creating an innovative antivenom. He does this in his lab at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in Johannesburg. Wibmer also holds a joint position as a researcher in the Wits Faculty of Health.
“We are essentially using animal blood as a medicine. We basically immunise animals with snake venom and repeat the process. So you get better and better antibodies,” said Wibmer.
According to Wibmer, South Africa has a reputation for producing high quality snakebite serum (treatment). However, recently there have been shortages that have been blamed on the increase in power outages.
Working on a less costly, less complex antivenom
“The problem with these antivenoms is that it is a very impure medicine. From batch to batch it is different. It is not like a drug made in a lab,” explained Wibmer.
When snake bite victims are treated, they often need several vials of antivenom. These, in South Africa, can cost as much as R100,000, said Wibmer.
“The ultimate aim is to create an antivenom that is temperature-stable. That will not need to be stored in a refrigerator and can be taken into the field. Aside from the storage issue, another problem with antivenom is the cost,” he added.
Single vial instead of the current multi-doses
He said should his new antivenom be successful, it could be stored anywhere, and would require a single vial.
“We are looking forward to the next generation of antivenoms that are broader, safer, and generally applicable to whole general or even whole families of snakes.”
In South Africa, a polyvalent antivenom is manufactured. In this case, the venom of 10 common South African venomous snakes is used. These include the puff adder, Gaboon adder, rinkhals, green mamba and Jameson’s mamba. Also black mamba, cape cobra, forest cobra, snouted cobra and Mozambique spitting cobra.
