CBC (Toronto, Ontario) 21 October 08 Snakebite victim's survival 'a miracle': zoo owner - Reptile-lovers fear possible new restrictions
The owner of a reptile zoo in Ontario that supplied the antivenin that helped save the life of a snake-bitten Winnipeg man says the bite victim is lucky to be alive.
Bry Loyst's Indian River Reptile Zoo is one of two places in Canada that keep the antivenin for the West African gaboon viper, the species of snake that bit a 31-year-old Winnipeg man in the face Sunday night.
"To my knowledge, he received six vials, which is not very much, and he is now getting better, which is a miracle," Loyst said. "There has never been an actual documented case of anyone ever being bitten in the face by this species of snake in the world."
Loyst credited medical staff in Manitoba for saving the victim's life.
"The venom is not really that toxic compared to some other snakes, but it gives you such a large amount," he said. "Most people don't live long after a full-blown bite from this snake, so the medical staff really need a handshake and a pat on the back — they've done an amazing job out there."
The bite victim remains in critical but stable condition in hospital, police said Tuesday morning.
Authorities have not yet located the viper that bit the man, a resident of Winnipeg's St. Vital neighbourhood. There was no sign that the snake was kept at his home, police said. They believe it might have been kept by someone outside the city.
Police and animal-control officials said Tuesday that although the snake's whereabouts are still unknown, there is no cause for alarm. They are confident animal is in someone's possession, they said, and even if it were at large, it would likely hide from the cold weather.
Reptile owners worry bite could lead to ban
Meanwhile, reptile aficionados in Manitoba are concerned authorities could move to ban some of their favourite animals in the wake of the bite.
Dave Shelvey owns Westman Reptile Gardens near Brandon, where he has about 100 venomous snakes on display, six of them West African gaboon vipers.
It's illegal to keep a venomous reptile in Winnipeg, but where Shelvey lives — as in many parts of the province — it is legal to possess such animals.
Shelvey worries that could change in the wake of Sunday's snakebite.
"The government is pretty famous for overreacting on stuff, and you get one freak case of somebody having, you know, a little slip up or whatever and then the guys who do responsibly have them all have to pay for it," he said.
"It'd be nothing for the province to put a provincially wide ban on them, and then I would assume you'd have to be grandfathered on what you have, but it could make it next to impossible to get any new ones in."
Shelvey said he's aware of only a few people in the province who own gaboon vipers, which are native to the tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa. The snakes have the longest fangs of any snake and produce a large amount of venom. They are also known for their docile nature.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/10/21/gaboon-viper.html?ref=rss
PETERBOROUGH EXAMINER (Ontario) 21 October 08 Deadly snake bites man in face - Zoo sent antiveninto WinnipegLocal zoo owner steps in to help save him (Fiona Isaacson)
A local snake expert helped save the life of a Winnipeg man bitten Sunday by a poisonous African snake.
Bry Loyst, owner and curator of the Indian River Reptile Zoo, was contacted by Winnipeg doctors looking for antivenin to save the life of the 31-year-old man, who was bitten in the face by a Gaboon viper.
Loyst said the snake was the man's pet.
Winnipeg police said the man was able to tell hospital staff what happened and what treatment he needed before his condition deteriorated.
The Canadian Press was reporting the man's condition as stable last night.
Loyst said he's been in constant contact with the man's girlfriend.
"It looks like he's going to pull through. He's definitely looking a lot better. He's awake now," Loyst said last night.
Loyst said he contacted the Toronto Zoo and had 15 vials of antivenin shipped to Winnipeg, arriving at about 2:36 a. m. yesterday.
Loyst said he was also in contact with Winnipeg doctors and helped find a Colorado doctor who is an expert in Gaboon viper bites.
"Most physicians will never see this in their lifetime," Loyst said.
This isn't Loyst's first time being contacted for his expertise and antivenin. The Indian River Reptile Zoo and the Toronto Zoo are the only zoos in Canada that have antivenin for exotic snakes, he said.
"Time is an issue with a snakebite. Time is very very important," Loyst said.
A "full blown bite" from a Gaboon viper is fatal, Loyst said.
The snake has the longest fangs -- up to 6 ¼ centimetres -- of any venomous snake, he said.
Loyst said the Winnipeg man was bitten by one fang on the lip and probably received a "very, very small amount" of venom.
"It's just terrifying. I couldn't imagine being bitten by one of those," he said.
"They're very placid snakes, you really have to do something silly to be bitten by one. He obviously did something silly by picking it up."
The Indian River Reptile Zoo has two Gaboon vipers. There are venomous snakes all over the place, including Peterborough, Loyst said. "It isn't all that rare for people to have venomous snakes."
The whereabouts of the snake were unknown last night.
Vipers can grow to almost two metres long and weigh up to eight kilograms.
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1256418
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS (Manitoba) 21 October 08 Venomous snake likely 'hot': expert (Scott Gibbons)
A bizarre incident involving a potentially fatal snake bite is proof it's necessary to ban some exotic animals from the city, says the owner of a Winnipeg reptile business.
"No one should have these in the city...," said Casey Trizpit, of Winnipeg Reptiles. "It's not right. What if one does get loose?"
A Winnipeg man was bitten in the face by a gaboon viper Sunday evening and rushed to St. Boniface Hospital.
The St. Vital snake enthusiast was conscious when he arrived and was able to identify the venomous snake for medical staff before losing consciousness.
The 31-year-old man was upgraded to stable condition late Monday afternoon, after being treated with an antivenin flown in from Ontario. His family has asked that no other updates be released.
The snakes are banned in city limits, but not by all Manitoba municipalities.
Until Sunday's incident, Trizpit said the only gaboon vipers he knew of in Manitoba were located at the Westman Reptile Gardens, just east of Brandon.
Trizpit suspects the snake was 'hot', sold illegally from a private collection. To acquire the snake legally, a potential owner would need an import/export licence since the species usually comes from the U.S.
"This is what happens when they get into the wrong hands," he said. Trizpit helped organized the Manitoba Reptile Breeders' Expo two weeks ago to promote the hobby and said the incident doesn't help legitimate reptile enthusiasts.
"This kind of thing scares the public," he said.
Winnipeg police said Monday they don't know the whereabouts of the snake, but believe it's in somebody's possession.
Dave Shelvey, who owns Westman Reptile Gardens, said the vipers are popular with collectors because, at two inches long, have the longest fang of all venomous snakes.
The fat, sluggish snake is native to equatorial Africa and can reach up to four to six feet (1.2-1.8 metres) in length. It is considered to be a very docile snake.
It is Africa's most venomous snake and can inject up to two teaspoons of venom, with less than a drop being fatal. It's unknown how much went into the victim.The venom destroys tissue, much like flesh-eating disease and often the only life-saving measure is amputation. It also prevents blood clotting and puts 'severe shock' on the heart.
Trizpit said he doesn't agree with all the exclusions on the city's exotic bylaw list, but supports the ban of the vipers and other poisonous snakes.
"I myself would not want anything that could potentially kill me," he said. "Why would I want to put myself, my kids, my girlfriend lives in jeopardy?"
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4240504p-4883591c.html
WINNIPEG SUN (Manitoba) 21 October 08 Biting snake believed to be contained - Man recovering from face injury (Chris Kitching)
Winnipeg police say they’re confident a venomous snake that bit a man in the face is in someone’s possession and not at large.
Police said today the West African Gaboon viper is in the possession of an unknown person.
Investigators haven’t confirmed where the bite occurred but it may have been at a location 90 minutes outside of Winnipeg, police said.
As for the victim, a 31-year-old Winnipeg man, he is still in stable condition in hospital. Authorities have not revealed the extent of his injuries or what sort of recovery period or additional treatment lies ahead.
The man's family has declined interview requests.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2008/10/21/7154931.html
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS (Manitoba) 20 October 08 Expert puzzled over venomous snake bite (Scott Gibbons)
In the world of venomous snakes, the gaboon viper is known for being a bit of a teddy bear.
That's why one Manitoba snake expert is puzzled over how a Winnipeg man ended up getting bitten in the face by the snake Sunday night.
"It's one of the most docile snakes there is," said Dave Shelvey, owner of Westman Reptile Gardens. "They don't strike like a mamba or cobra."
The victim, a 31-year-old snake enthusiast from St. Vital, was conscious when he arrived at St. Boniface General Hospital Sunday evening, but then lost consciousness. A friend drove him to the hospital.
The victim was initially listed in critical condition and was being treated for life-threatening injuries, but has since been upgraded to stable condition.
Winnipeg police say they don't know if the snake belongs to the man or where it is now located. It's believed the incident happened outside the city.
"We don't know where the snake is," Const. Jacqueline Chaput said. "Somebody is in possession of the snake. It's not randomly out there."
Police say they have few details because they haven't been able to interview the man.
Bylaw charges may be laid if the snake was being kept in the city. Poisonous snakes are not permitted in Winnipeg.
Shelvey, who has six gaboon vipers at his reptile park near Brandon, said they are extremely popular with collectors because their fangs – typically two inches long - are the longest among venomous snakes.
"Getting bit by them would hurt a lot," Shelvey said.
The snake is native to equatorial Africa and can reach up to four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 metres) in length. It traditionally waits for its prey, rather than aggressively attack.
It's that trait, Shelvey said, that makes Sunday's incident all the more confusing. He added he's never heard of it occurring before in North America.
"I don't know how that would happen even if you don't know how to handle them."
Dr. Pierre Plourde, a tropical medicine expert with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said the viper is the most venomous snake in Africa.
It can inject up to two teaspoons of venom, with less than a drop being fatal. It's unknown how much went into the victim.
The vipers, which typically are fat and sluggish, may become aggressive if stepped upon. However, they don't always release venom.
"It depends if (the strike) was just meant to scare," Plourde said.
The venom destroys tissue, much like flesh-eating disease, and often the only life-saving measure is amputation, Plourde said. It also prevents blood clotting and puts “severe shock” on the heart.
Antivenin, which can only prevent more damage, not undo damage, is the most important form of treatment, but is only available from two locations in Canada - Reptile World in Drumheller, Alta., and the Ontario Antivenin Bank in Indian River, Ont.
Plourde said there is a window of less than 24 hours to use antivenin. It was advantageous that the victim was still conscious and able to identify the type of snake for medical staff, he said. Staff could then take immediate steps to control the shock to the body while awaiting the drug.
"In this case, it was a huge help to name the species right away," he said.
Plourde said amputation isn't an option in this case because of where the man was bitten. He said there could be all kinds of disfigurement.
Gaboon vipers cost about $100 to buy, Shelvey said. They and other venomous snakes are relatively cheap because there isn't a lot of demand for them.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4240190p-4883257c.html
CBC (Toronto, Ontario) 20 October 08 Police seek venomous snake that bit Winnipeg man
A Winnipeg man is receiving medical treatment after being bitten by an African snake on Sunday.
A friend drove the 31-year-old St. Vital resident to hospital after he was bitten in the face by a gaboon viper around 6 p.m. Sunday, police said.
The man was knowledgeable about the snake, police said. He told hospital officials what had happened, and how much time they had to get antivenin to him.
The antivenin was flown to Winnipeg from Toronto.
Dr. Pierre Plourde, a medical officer of health with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, compared the tissue damage caused by the snake's venom to necrotizing fasciitis or flesh-eating disease.
"I know that sounds horrible, but this venom is one of the most toxic of all venoms in African snakes," he said. "It can destroy tissue very rapidly, and so much so that sometimes the lifesaving procedure is amputation if you're bitten on the leg or on the arm."
The man's condition had deteriorated to critical before the antivenin arrived, police said, but by Monday morning his condition had been upgraded to "guarded but unstable."
Snake's whereabouts unknown
The victim lost consciousness before speaking to police, Const. Jacqueline Chaput said Monday, but investigators did have a chance to speak to his friend.
Police are still looking for the snake, but Chaput says the public shouldn't be worried.
"We don't know where the snake is at this point, but indications are somebody is in possession of the snake, that it's not just randomly out there," she said.
Police searched the victim's home and did not find the animal there.
"It is our understanding that he has had a lifelong interest in reptiles, but there is no indication that there were any reptiles in his residence," Chaput said. "We can confirm that it did not occur at his residence, however, where it occured we have yet to confirm."
The snake may have been living with someone outside the city, Chaput said. It is illegal to keep a venomous reptile in the city of Winnipeg, but some surrounding municipalities allow their possession.
Tim Dack, chief operating officer of animal services for the City of Winnipeg, said he is "not very concerned" that the snake has not yet been located.
"A snake's not going to chase you down the street, and … it's cold weather," he said.
"If it is anywhere, it's going to be curled up someplace warm. I mean, they don't go and just prowl the streets kind of thing … so it's not something for anybody to get all upset about."
Gaboon vipers, native to the tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa, have the longest fangs of any snake and produce a large amount of venom. They are also known for their docile nature.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/10/20/snake-bite.html
