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china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russell's
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by tigers9 on August 22, 2008
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http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national%20news/2008/08/22/171255/CDC-certifies.htm
CDC certifies serum against deadly Russell's viper
Friday, August 22, 2008
CNA
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced yesterday that certification has been issued for an antivenin for bites by the Russell's viper, one of the most venomous snakes found in Taiwan.
CDC Deputy Director-General Shih Wen-yi said at a press conference that the CDC has been conducting clinical experiments on antivenin for the Russell's viper since 1999, but added that certification was only issued recently, as only a few people are bitten each year, making human clinical trials difficult. With the certification of the antivenin, the CDC will be able to distribute it to major hospitals in eastern and southern Taiwan, as well as health stations in mountainous areas, where bites are more likely to occur, Shih added.
The Russell's viper is relatively less studied locally as it has a limited habitat, and has a smaller population compared to the other venomous snakes found in Taiwan, said Lien Wei-cheng, chief of the vaccination center under the CDC, adding that no more than 10 people here are bitten by the snake every year.
According to the CDC, the Russell's viper's venom is of high toxicity and has a high fatality rate, as it is both a neurotoxin and an emotoxin.
"Results of clinical experiments show that if people bitten by the snake receive the antivenin within three to six hours, symptoms of hemorrhage and renal failure can be effectively alleviated," said Hung Dung-zung, director of the department of toxicology of the China Medical University Hospital, who was in charge of the clinical experiments.
He added that the fatality rate of people bitten by the Russell's viper was 17 percent before the antivenin was manufactured, and that those who survive can suffer from muscle necrosis, renal failure or cerebral embolism.
The antivenin has already saved more than 50 people's lives, according to the CDC.
Copyright © 2008 The China Post.
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by Cro on August 22, 2008
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Interesting article.
Perhaps in Taiwan, bites from Russell's viper are rare, however, on other parts of the range of this snake, the bite is fairly common.
Many, many humans have died from the bite of a Russell's viper over the years.
Hopefully, the new Anti-Venom will be made available to other countries outside of Taiwan.
Best Regards John Z
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by theemojohnm on August 22, 2008
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Yes.. :( I thought these bites were VERY common throught allmost all of their native range..
I agree. Sounds like some good work they have going. Maybe their AV will get FDA approval over here.. (just kidding.. lol) 90% of everything that I own has been manufactured over there. LOL..
~John.
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by CAISSACA on August 23, 2008
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I sincerely hope they don't try to sell it ("make it available") anywhere else: Russell's viper has an extraordinarily variable venom, so that, ore often than not, an antivenom raised against one country's Russell's viper will fail to neutralise the venom of another country's.
There are a number of problems worldwide already where unscrupulous antivenom manufacturers sell antivenom in countries with different snakes and/or venoms, with the result being greatly increased fatality rates, e.g., Indian Echis antivenoms (against E. carinatus) being sold in W. Africa (resident species: Echis ocellatus).
Cheers,
WW
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by Phobos on August 23, 2008
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It seems that the Indian A/V industry is selling serum in places it will not work, just to sell them something to make $$. David Williams exposed Indian A/V being sold to treat bites by PNG snakes like: Death Adders & Taipans. There are some really ruthless people out there to do that...
Al
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by CAISSACA on August 23, 2008
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Yup, precisely the same people. There have been considerable numbers of fatalities in West Africa as a result. Whoever is responsible for this has blood on their hands, especially as the fact that Asian E. carinatus a/v won't work for E. ocellatus was established as far back as the 1970s, when exactly the same happened! This is frustrating beyond words!
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by Cro on August 23, 2008
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Al and Wolfgang, thanks for the update. I totally forgot about the "regional" nature of some antivenoms.
It is very unfortunate that people would sell antivenom to areas where it will not work, just to make money.
I wonder how many people die each year by being treated with antivenom that is inappropriate for the snakes in the region they live in ?
Best Regards John Z
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by CAISSACA on August 23, 2008
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Title: Failure of a new antivenom to treat Echis ocellatus snake bite in rural Ghana: the importance of quality surveillance
Author(s): Visser, LE; Kyei-Faried, S; Belcher, DW, et al.
Source: TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE Volume: 102 Issue: 5 Pages: 445-450 Published: 2008
Abstract: This study compares two antivenoms used to treat Echis ocellatus snake bite patients at Mathias Hospital, Yeji, central Ghana. FAV-Afrique antivenom (Aventis Pasteur) was given to 278 patients during 2001--2003, whilst Asna Antivenom C (Bharat Serum and Vaccines Ltd) was used in 2004 to treat 66 patients. The two groups had comparable patient attributes, time from snake bite to treatment and staff adherence to the tested treatment protocol. The antivenom C group required more repeat doses and twice the amount of antivenom to treat coagulopathy. Of greater concern, the antivenom C mortality rate was 12.1%, a marked rise from the 1.8% rate in the earlier FAV-Afrique antivenom group. In this study, antivenom C was ineffective as treatment for West African E. ocellatus snake venom. This illustrates the absolute need for regional pilot tests to assess the effectiveness of a new antivenom against local snake venoms before its sole and general distribution in a region is initiated.
*** end quote ***
That's eight people right there who need not have died, in just one small hosppital in a rural part of Ghana. Extrapolate that to the entire country, and you are talking dozens, or more likely hundreds every year.
Re-reading the paper, the guilty party is at least in part the Ghana Ministry of Health, who orderd the antivenom for the country. Back in the 1970s, when this story happened in Nigeria, the guilty parties could at least claim ignorance of the taxonomic situation. That excuse is not valid any more today.
Cheers,
WW
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RE: china-CDC certifies serum against deadly Russe
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by tigers9 on August 23, 2008
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So are you saying they are selling real snake oil???;-)
Z
<<by Phobos on August 23, 2008 Mail this to a friend!
It seems that the Indian A/V industry is selling serum in places it will not work, just to sell them something to make $$. David Williams exposed Indian A/V being sold to treat bites by PNG snakes like: Death Adders & Taipans. There are some really ruthless people out there to do that...
>.
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