AAT boosts snake bite anti-venom initiatives

A boomslang seeking prey. (Image: William Warby, London, England courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Dr Musinami, Dr Ngarivume and Fiona Wilson, from the medical centre, formed a committee called 'The Snake Bite Committee' which raises sponsored funds from organisations - particularly from tourism establishments in the area - to ensure enough anti-venom is available for anyone needing this critical medication in Victoria Falls.

Fiona Wilson says, "Immediate neutralisation of the circulating venom and treatment is of the utmost importance and we need immediate and proper administration of the anti-venom product."

Zimbabwe-born Glenn Stutchbury, vice president of the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism (ZCT) and MD of AAT, a major hospitality group operating in Victoria Falls says, "AAT's business values are underpinned by a proud and proven commitment to create a positive impact on the physical and social environments in which we operate and we fully support Fiona in her quest."

Promoting better conditions for locals and tourists

Stutchbury adds that this type of project helps to promote better conditions for locals and tourists visiting the region. That's why AAT, in association with the Falls Medical Centre, is planning to contract various snake specialists to deliver training workshops on snakes, their bites, first aid, anti-venom dosage, latest treatment protocols and critical care of deep envenomation for better emergency management and safer outcomes for snake bite victims.

Jonathon Hudson, house manager of Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, the flagship property of AAT says, "This is a great initiative and as a dedicated tourism operator in the area, we'll give this project the attention it deserves by supplying the necessary financial, training and community support."

Anti-venom funding for the first batch of ten vials, costing R650 each, is desperately needed with further plans to acquire a sufficient quantity as snake bite incidents might increase in the long run.

The poly-valent anti-venom is prepared from hyperimmunised equines against the venoms of the most commonly encountered poisonous snakes, with plasmas obtained being enzyme refined, purified and concentrated, with each millilitre of the reconstituted snake anti-venom serum neutralising between 0.45mg and 0.6mg venom, depending on the type of snake.

Fiona Wilson adds, "At present, there's no simple method to accurately measure the amount of circulating venom in the body after a snake bite, therefore the anti-venom dose can't be precisely recommended which means sufficient stock is necessary for proper and possible additional applications."

The symptoms

The venom of highly poisonous snakes, like that of the cobra, act rapidly if a large amount of venom is absorbed into circulation. So unless the absorption of the venom is stopped by ligation, the anti-venom doesn't get a fair chance to neutralise the venom and save the victim.

General intoxication is soon followed by a sense of creeping paralysis beginning in the legs, ascending to the head and eyelids, with a staggering effect on walking, uncoordinated speech and paralysis of all voluntary muscles with nausea and vomiting occurring frequently and breathing becoming more and more difficult until it eventually ceases.

Considering the horrific and fatal symptoms of a snake bite, Fiona Wilson says, "It's crucial to act immediately with the proper treatment and care for snake-bite contaminations. The medical centre hopes to educate as many people as possible to apply appropriate first aid procedures for these type of incidences."

AAT will prove to be an important partner in this initiative, as the Hospitality group operates, markets and manages premium quality hotels and lodges throughout Southern Africa. Units include the award winning flagship Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and the RCI Gold Crown Resort Lokuthula Lodges at Victoria Falls. At Kariba, the group runs the iconic Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, and markets The Hide at Hwange National Park.