LIMPOPO – According to Chris Cooke, owner of Hoedspruit Reptile Centre (HRC), the reason behind the shortage of snake bite antivenom is not known.

He said it is particularly concerning since snake bite incidences increase in summer.

“Depending on who you speak to, the story changes. A combination of staff issues, load-shedding and a shortage of the necessary supplies are all blamed,” he said. “Interruptions in the manufacturing process often result in them having to dispose of whole batches.”

Despite this, South African manufacturers are not taking on new raw materials from venom milkers because they have enough in stock. According to Cooke, about 12 to 15 people die of snake bites every year; however, the number of bites is much higher.

“In South Africa, there is no obligation to report snake bites, and most hospitals do not keep statistics. It’s almost impossible to tell, but what we do know is that many people, especially in rural areas, are bitten. Being remotely located, they do not have access to quick treatment and because of the antivenom shortage, the risk is even higher.”

He said the HRC does stock antivenom from the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP). They also have antivenom for scorpion bites.

“We have got polyvalent for most of the snake bites, and we have monovalent for boomslang, but we do not have a full range,” he added.

He said an alternative for antivenom is manufactured in India and there is currently an increase in use of it.

“It is called Panna, and it seems to be effective in treating snake bites. But there are very few clinical cases and hopefully, in future, we will get a better understanding of how effective it is.”

Cooke said Panna is very expensive and double the amount of antivenom is necessary to treat a bite.