In the event of a venomous snake bite, antivenom, sometimes called antivenin, is the only treatment. While these miraculous drugs cannot reverse the damage that the venom has already caused you, they do stop the venom in its tracks. So, how exactly does it work? Of course, you’ll also want to know which snakes are venomous, how to avoid them, and what to do if you’ve been bitten by one. Snake safety has changed a lot over the decades, and there is lots of false information floating around, so you may need this refresher.
Poison or Venom?
Snakes are not poisonous, they are venomous. Venom is a group of proteins and enzymes which have a negative effect on the snake’s prey, from killing them, to immobilizing them, even to helping digest them. There are three main types of venom a snake can have (and they all can deliver more than one of these in a single bite):
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- Hemotoxic: Hemo means blood, so this venom effects the blood. It can cause bleeding, make that bleeding (or the bleeding from the bite) worse by inhibiting your ability to clot (or scab). Then again, hemotoxins can also clot your blood so much that it can no longer flow, sometimes causing stroke or heart failure.
- Cytotoxic: Cyto means cell. This type of venom can break down cells, in a form of digestion. It can destroy your flesh, perhaps to the point that you lose your limb or life. Snakes commonly use this venom to begin digesting their prey.
- Neurotoxic: Neuro means nerves, so this venom effects the nervous system and the brain. These toxins will mess with your body’s most vital functions, from moving to breathing. Usually, these toxins are the fastest to take effect and can end in death by paralysis of your diaphragm.
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These categories are an oversimplification. Each species of snake has developed a different chemical mixture to take down their most common prey. Indeed, even individuals within a species can have different venom. None were designed to target humans, but they can still kill us.
How Antivenom was First Made
Antivenom, sometimes called antivenin, was first produced by Albert Calmette in the 1890s. Calmette was a student of Louis Pasteur, who developed the “second wave” of vaccines. Calmette used the same kind of technique to create antivenom after witnessing a disaster in a Vietnamese village. Flooding had brought in a group of cobras, who bit forty people, killing four. Calmette’s basic process was to inject horses with a small amount of snake venom, and wait for them to develop anti-bodies to the venom. Anti-bodies are a typical immune system response to venom and all sorts of illnesses, and the basis of vaccines. Humans just don’t make venom antibodies fast enough to save their life. Horses are better adapted to survive snake bites. Plus, because horses are so large, it would take a large amount of the venom to kill them, making the process relatively safe. After, Calmette would collect some of the horse’s blood, and separate out the anti-bodies. Those anti-bodies could then be injected into a human, where they would fight off the venom.
How Exactly Do These Antibodies “Fight Off” the Venom?
The proteins in venom evolved to hook themselves onto cells and block them from interacting with other cells properly. For example, neurotoxins are the right shape to hook onto nerves. This is called binding, and it prevents the nerve from doing its job, of firing messages to other nerves. When enough nerves are so disabled, whole sections of your brain or spinal cord can’t pass on their signal. It’s like cutting that part of your body off from the rest of it. The same goes for venom that targets blood or other cells, it disables them by hooking onto them. When antivenom is administered it binds onto the neurotoxin itself, changing its shape. The neurotoxin is then like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit into it’s spot. It can’t hook onto your nerves anymore, so the remaining nerves can still do their job. Eventually, your kidneys will send the now harmless toxins out of your body. However, once the venom has hooked itself onto the cell, most antivenom cannot pry the venom loose. Usually, damage from venom is irreversible.
Modern Antivenom
Modern antivenom is essentially the same as the kind Calmette created, just an immune response from some other animal, given to humans in large doses. We can now separate out the working part of the anti-body from other proteins the animal produces, reducing the likelihood a severe reaction to the antivenom. Once, people would become allergic to horses from using antivenom. Now, even those who are already allergic to horses can be given the antivenom, the doctors will simply treat the allergic reaction as well. However, because the process of creating the venom still requires a ton of time, equipment, and expertise (including keeping live snakes and other live animals) antivenom is quite expensive. The only FDA approved antivenom in current production is CroFab. All American pit vipers are treated with CroFab, while Coral Snake bites are treated with North American Coral Snake Antivenin (NASCA). NASCA is now out of production, as the manufacturer decided it was too expensive to make. There is a limited supply of it remaining, so it is only used in the case of life-threatening reaction that other medical intervention cannot deal with. Only one person has died of coral snake bites in the last five years. And, work has begun on a new coral snake antivenom patent. This also means that all you need to know about the venomous snake which bit you is whether or not its a coral snake (in the continental United States, anyway, assuming this is not a pet or zoo snake). Treatment for all others will be the same.
How to Avoid a Snake Bite
Wear rubber boots which cover your ankles, and long pants. Also wear thick leather gloves, especially when dealing with wood piles or debris, which snakes can hide in. While walking, kick up in front of you to warn the snake, or use a walking stick to check the path in front of you. If you see a snake, leave it alone. Even if the snake is dead, its nerves still fire for hours afterward, and it will occasionally strike out and bite. You should also be aware of what venomous snakes are in your area, so you know their typical habits, behaviors, and how to identify them. Here’s a guide to get you started.
