With antivenom supplies low countrywide, reptile experts are searching for alternative solutions.
Two weeks ago, the People’s Post reported on an antivenom crisis, with very low supply available at vets and hospitals.
READ | Antivenom shortage at crisis levels for both for humans and animals
Mike Perry, the founder of African Reptiles and Venom, says Covid-19 and load shedding are contributing to equipment breaking down.
“The factory where antivenom is produced was built in 1970 and it was sufficient for our needs. But after 50 years it is too small and needs to be upgraded.
“Secondly, load shedding and Covid has created a knock-on effect because as you can imagine switching equipment, of 50 years, on and off to breaking point.”
According to Perry, antivenom supplies are low with at least a year behind in production.
“What they do is send all the antivenom to hospitals instead of vets because human life is more important.
“There is a budget for new equipment to replace the old equipment but there still needs to be enough supply of antivenom before the switch can take place.
As we are approaching winter, snake bites would decrease but it is a small reprieve because winter is short.”
He adds that most snake bites occur in the North of KwaZulu-Natal and that prevention is better than cure.
“For now there has to be a campaign in those communities for people to sleep under mosquito nets so that snakes can’t for example reach people. In communities where there are spitting cobras, you need proper door frames and mesh wire.”
Meanwhile, Steve Meighan, owner of Deep South Reptile Rescue, claims that the current antivenom crisis is because of the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) inability to produce enough antivenom.
“It’s about eight months now where orders have not been fulfilled and we are running low on antivenom that is not available for hospitals and vets.
“As a result, most vets run out of antivenom and can’t get access to any.
“People are not getting any antivenom, so they are getting much more damage after the bites.”
According to Meighan, SA has 10 to 12 snake bites annually, but this is likely to rise.
“We are going to see that figure going up if we don’t solve this problem because people will start dying from cape cobra and black mamba bites.
“The black mamba bite was 100% fatal before antivenom. We need it and this is serious. Mike (Perry) can supply the venom and I can supply the venom but we don’t have the facility to make the antivenom and that’s where the problem lies.”
He adds that they are looking at alternative solutions
“My idea is antivenom banks for each province with a snake professional in charge of that and not a medical professional with all the antivenom stored there and then sent to medical facilities.”
Antivenom has a three-year shelf life and costs around R2 100.
“If we have enough for this year, we should have enough for the next two years.
That needs to be put into place. I’m trying to get these banks up and running and we are trying to get the funding together for that currently.”
