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DAILY CHAMPION (Lagos, Nigeria) 22 November 04 Poisonous Snakes On Rampage in Gombe (Williams Attah)
Gombe: Poisonous snakes are on the rampage in Gombe State where 15 people have died so far from snake bites.
In addition, 850 other persons are in various stages of illness after the venomous snakes attacked them in various parts of Kaltungo local government area of the state.
The Mai Traditional ruler of Kaltungo, Mallam Saleh Mohammed raised a shrill alarm for help last week saved his people from further misery.
Briefing Governor Danjuma Goje in Gombe, the Mai said hospitals and clinics in the entire area were hosting the estimated 850 victims with some critically ill.
According to Mallam Mohammed, the situation had become worse as a result of the scarcity of the anti-snake bite venom. "We are completely out of stock," he told the governor.
He said that if unchecked, the epidemic would cause "a great disaster" in his domain which he said is known as a natural habit for very dangerous species of snakes.
He, however, commended the state government for renovating and furnishing hospitals in the entire state.
But he called for "serious attention" to be given to the provision of the anti-snake venoms if the desired success must be made in the area of health delivery, especially in Kaltungo.

The Mai said the snake menace was the reason why youths from the area usually migrate from the rural areas to the cities in search of safer pastures.
Poisonous Snakes On Rampage in Gombe

The offending snakes were not named. Perhaps supplying the populace with shoes would be more cost efficient than a huge supply of antivenin.

~~Greg~~

>>The offending snakes were not named. Perhaps supplying the populace with shoes would be more cost efficient than a huge supply of antivenin.

In that area (Kaltungo), the main culprit would almost certainly be Echis ocellatus. And yes, shoes would cut down the incidence of snakebite dramatically.

Cheers,

WW
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WW Home

Greg:

My first thought was: send me! I can't think of anything more exciting than "rampaging venomous snakes" . Thanks to WW for the input on the possible offenders.

Proper foot wear in many places around the would would be very beneficial in reducing snakebites. I recall Mark O'Shea's trip to Sri Lanka to catch D. russelii. He brought some boots for the rice pickers that were effective but the locals did not like to wear them.

Best,

Al

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You can't enjoy your collection if it kills you.

>>Proper foot wear in many places around the would would be very beneficial in reducing snakebites. I recall Mark O'Shea's trip to Sri Lanka to catch D. russelii. He brought some boots for the rice pickers that were effective but the locals did not like to wear them.

Hmmmm... If you have ever slogged around a rice field, then you will know why. Any kind of footwear is extremely hot, uncomfortable, and tends to get sucked off your feet with every step. Sure, it seems silly to run the risk of a bite for comfort, but if you have to wear them every single day, you kind of forget the risk compared to the daily drudgery...

Having said that, in Echis country, you don't spend your time wading through mud, and even some pretty low and flimsy footwear could really reduce your chances of getting nailed by these small snakes, so these considerations do not really apply there (but poverty obviously does!).

Cheers,

WW
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WW Home

Hi Wolfgang:

Yes, It's no fun slogging through rice paddies with boots on, been there done that. I guess westerners see it as "normal" to have heavy cumbersome footwear. As you infered, it seems to be an acceptable risk to them.

Best,

Al
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You can't enjoy your collection if it kills you.