Venomous snake serum stockpile will be depleted in 2016

ByHerman Pijpers

It is estimated that more than 100,000 people worldwide are killed by poisonous snakes every year, but in Africa the serum stock effective for snake venom is faced with the crisis of being exhausted within 2016 doing.

Africa braced for snakebite crisis: Nature News & amp; Comment
http://www.nature.com/news/africa-braced-for-snakebite-crisis-1.18357


In sub-Saharan Africa WestBlack MambaSnakes with extremely strong toxicity are inhabited. According to a survey by a medical doctor without borders, the Central African Republic and South Sudan estimate that 30,000 people are bitten by a venomous snake every year and that at least 8,000 people experience cutting of limbs each year .

Besides Africa, it is highly toxic which inhabits India and othersCarpet ViperDamage by each year occurs, but when bitten snakes are bothered, you can neutralize poison by receiving serum treatment immediately. However, it is a French pharmaceutical company in 2010Sanofi Pasteur (Sanofi Pasteur)Has stopped production of serum antibodies of poisonous snake called "Fav - Afrique" made from plasma of horses injected with venom. It is a proven serum that saved a lot of people, but since cost is high between 250 dollars and 500 dollars (about 30,000 yen to 60 thousand yen) per person, in Africa 10 out of people bitten by poisonous snakes Only I can receive treatment. Production of serum failed to recover costs.

ByAlessandro Vannucci

Sanofi pasteur is preparing to succeed the know-how of Fav-Afrique production, but it seems that the takeover destination has not been found. In South Africa, India, Mexico and Costa Rica, there are pharmaceutical companies that produce lower cost serum than Fav-Afrique, but the safety and efficacy against all species inhabiting Africa are unidentified in clinical trials And that. Médecins Sans Frontières presents two hospitals, Central African Republic and South Sudan, as research facilities to promote the effective serum development process to replace Fav-Afrique, but before it is established as a product , It is considered to take at least two years.

In the urban area, the serious problem of poisonous snake, which is not regarded as important, because of little damage, the number of deaths caused by poisonous snakes has been increasing in the past few decades. According to Dr. Warrer, a tropical medicine expert at Oxford University, WHO does not have enough support programs,African sleeping sicknessIt is said that they are taking more lives than 17 tropical diseases such as. Mr. Warrell says, "Once we talked about poisonous snakes, people were laughing and listening, but they will not be able to laugh any longer."