Introduction

The World Health Organization estimates that up to five million people are bitten every year by snakes. Out of these 5 million people, about 2.4 million are estimated to be envenomed, resulting in 94,000-125,000 deaths annually. Additionally, it is estimated that about 400,000 of the envenomed patients suffer either amputation of limbs, or display other severe health consequences, such as renal failure, necrosis, spontaneous bleeding, panhypopituitarism, diabetes, chronic neurological deficits, deformity and amputation of limbs.

Antivenom remains the most effective antidote for snake envenoming, but is expensive and in short supply. As a consequence, it is unpractical or unavailable to rural and underdeveloped countries to carry due to challenged public health systems or poor infrastructure. Furthermore, the proper antidote to apply is not straight forward, as the snake responsible for the envenoming is long gone and identification of such snake species is not the specialty of the medical personnel at the clinics.