Hi friends. I hope you are all well. I just had a real eye opening experience and I would like to use this opportunity to share a story and bring some awareness to a charity that plays a huge role in our community (Swaziland Lowveld). Early last night I was contacted by Lucky (our MGR head of maintenance) and was informed that his 4 year old son Clement had been bitten by a snake whilst sleeping in bed (turned out to be a double bite behind his right knee. I rushed over to the ranger camp, collected him and raced him to Mhlume clinic. In the meantime I requested the assistance of All Out Africa research volunteer and herpetologist Jacob Owen. He rushed to the room and caught a huge Mozambican Spitting Cobra in a tight cluttered room (a massive thanks to him for this dead). By the time we arrived at the Mhlume clinic the snake and more importantly the type of venom (cytotoxic) was identified. The effects of the cytotoxic venom of the Mozambican Spitting Cobra without administering antivenom can be horrific. The affected area is normally quite broad and damage is long lasting. Necrosis is inevitable with certain skin loss, major muscle damage and possible total loss of limb function. A stay of 2-3 months in hospital with multiple operations and skin grafts is almost a given (in Swazi hospitals this can bring about all sorts of other complications and threats). For those of you who can stomach pictures of these bites you can see them by clicking here antivenomswazi.org/#/photo-gallery/4535627256 (WARNING you may find some of these images distressing). This could have been the fate of Clement’s leg but thanks to Thea of the Antivenom Swazi Foundation and the Mhlume clinic staff he is most likely going to have, at most a small area of slight necrosis around the double bite site. This is because we were able to correctly and timeously administer 8 vials of antivenom cocktail. (A process that was not without its complications and risks.) He has already been released from the clinic and is unlikely going to need to return. Simply AMAZING! If the bite had been a snake such as a Black Mamba or Snouted Cobra it would have been an even more urgent and life threatening situation. But the same antivenom cocktail works incredibly well for these bites too and has saved numerous lives in the area. With the option of such a ‘wonder’ treatment you might ask what the catch is. Well it’s simple. The cost for EACH of the 8 vials used on Clement is R1000.00. (Even with 3 of the vials donated by the Antivenom Swazi Foundation the total bill for this bite has come to over E7000.00) This is unaffordable to bite victims in this area and at this cost you are in reality very unlikely to find any. In some cases a single victim might need 10+ vials. It is therefore vital that the Antivenom Swazi Foundation is funded well enough to: - Have a bank of antivenom ready to treat and potentially save someone who can afford to replace vials - To donate antivenom to people who cannot afford to replace More info: antivenomswazi.org/# If you or anyone you know might be interested in contributing you can do so by either contacting them directly through their website enquiry here or you can donate to them through the Mbuluzi Game Reserve Community Development Fund by contacting me directly. [email protected] Many thanks for reading.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 08:04:06 +0000
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