>>Hi Everyone:
>>
>>I just read this thread on Dr. Fry's forum this morning. Anyone who keep venomous needs to read this. It's an important lesson learned the hard way.

I don't know, someting is odd here. If this were some hyper-toxic Aussie elapid, where a few mg are enough to kil you, then I could believe it, but with a puff adder?

Put simply, puff adder venom is not that potent drop for drop or dried crystal for dried crystal - to kill someone, you need something of the order of 50 mgor more of dried venom. 8 vials of SAIMR is the sort of dose you would use for a serious bite that injects a large amount of venom.

How much venom is contained dried in a shed fang? How much of that is dissolved and absorbed into the flesh in the seconds that the fang was stuck in the skin? Surely only a very tiny fraction of what would be injected in a bite - only a few mg at most.

I have seen snake handlers impale themselves on freshly shed fangs of Bothrops spp. and suffer nothing more than a swollen digit for a few hours - I have a very hard time understanding how a normal person would get a major envenomation from a puff adder in this way.

I am not doubting that the incident took place, but if it did as described, then there is some extra angle to it that we are missing so far.

Cheers,

WW
-----
WW Home

[ Hide Replies ]

• Serious Envenomation by shed fang - phobos, Tue Mar 21 10:04:32 2006
• RE: Serious Envenomation by shed fang - Carmichael, Tue Mar 21 12:44:47 2006
• WOW!! - CBH, Tue Mar 21 13:01:50 2006
• I think... - Mike M., Thu Mar 23 19:44:04 2006
• RE: I think... - Greg Longhurst, Fri Mar 24 04:33:58 2006
• IT'S NOT THAT HARD! - MaxPeterson, Sun Mar 26 07:28:23 2006
• I think... - eunectes4, Sun Mar 26 14:46:36 2006
• RE: IT'S NOT THAT HARD! - Mike M., Sun Mar 26 21:28:36 2006
• RE: Serious Envenomation by shed fang - KRZ, Tue Mar 21 18:42:48 2006
• hmmmm.... - bthacker, Tue Mar 21 22:21:55 2006
• If I've said it once, I've said it twice - Shane_OK, Wed Mar 22 01:47:14 2006
• RE: Serious Envenomation by shed fang - WW, Wed Mar 22 02:27:48 2006
• ...me suggests the good Dr.., - regalringneck, Wed Mar 22 04:37:37 2006
• RE: ...me suggests the good Dr.., - phobos, Wed Mar 22 07:07:48 2006
• Uhhh.... - SnakesAndStuff, Wed Mar 22 10:55:43 2006
• RE: Uhhh.... - phobos, Wed Mar 22 15:57:54 2006
• RE: Uhhh.... - SnakesAndStuff, Wed Mar 22 17:13:28 2006
• RE: Uhhh.... - texasreptiles, Wed Mar 22 18:03:35 2006
• Venom in shed fangs - WW, Wed Mar 22 09:01:05 2006
• All I have to say is.. - eunectes4, Wed Mar 22 10:53:19 2006
• RE: All I have to say is.. - WW, Wed Mar 22 10:55:31 2006
• RE: All I have to say is.. - eunectes4, Wed Mar 22 11:20:02 2006
• RE: All I have to say is.. - texasreptiles, Wed Mar 22 16:06:37 2006
• RE: Serious Envenomation by shed fang - evil-elvis, Thu Mar 23 22:40:05 2006