Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you think there will be a time when people can take something where they will be immune to venom?Like herpetologists take something regularly and are able to go out into the feild,get bit by a cottonmoutn...and not worry about anything,or just have mild effects??Just something to think about...

mike

Speaking from the my training in Cell Biology & Pathology I think it's more likely Osama Bin laden would be elected as President of the United States.

Al
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Save a Rattlesnake...Skin a Sweetwater Resident!

Tell that to Bill Haast who has been injecting himself with snake venom for 57 years and is immune to most snake venoms. I believe his blood is a legal antivenom.

I believe he has had his blood used in transfusion for EDB bites that were quite serious. Of course the reciever has to have compatible blood type.
The experiments he started on himself proved he could acquire some degree of immunization, I saw him take a hit once when I was a kid, it didnt seem to bother him at the time as he continued working with the snake, an EDB.

In the early 80's when he was packing up to leave his Miami location my friend Tony and & watched him tranfering Tiger Snakes(Notechis)by hand when a juv. bit him in the hand. He just kept on going hardly taking notice but to wipe the blood away...guess were I would have been...If that had been me...

I was thinking along what Larry is thinking. It's just not economically viable to be a product. In Africa today, about 600 people are bitten each year, whereas, at the same time 100's of thousands die of HIV. Guess where the research $$ is going to go?

Al
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Save a Rattlesnake...Skin a Sweetwater Resident!

>>Tell that to Bill Haast who has been injecting himself with snake venom for 57 years and is immune to most snake venoms. I believe his blood is a legal antivenom.

It's probabl more accurate to say that he is RESISTANT to MANY (mostly neorioxic) snake venoms. Venoms still effect him, just not as much as most people. Also, he has to take the injections fairly frequently to keep up the resistance, it doesn't "stick".

However, it does show that the human body is capable of producing antibodies. My medical knowledge is fairly limited, but if the body is capable of manufacturing antibodies, and this can be stimulated by injecting small doses of venom, I don't see why it's not theoretically possible to manufacture of separate from natural venom a molecule/protein that mimics snake venom well enough to stimulate the production of antibodies without being toxic itself.

On the other hand, this sounds like an expensive undertaking with a very limited customer base, so just because its possible doesn't mean it will ever happen...

The main problem with our immune system is that its too slow when it comes to things like snake venoms. Once you've been exposed to some form of illness your body will store a blue print of an antibodie to that perticular antigen. And if exposed again in the future it will produce this specific antibodie but this can take a couple of days, way too long for snake venom. As already mentioned Bill injects himself on a weekly basis which keeps his antibodies circulating through out his body. With this in mind, to have some form of medication to be taken weekly would be astrinomical prices especially in the 3rd world where most legitamate bites occur.
Hope this has made sense, it did to me when I written it.

John

Bill also claim that he is resistant to other illnesses as a result of his injections. I beleive him. Bee stings are used to treat Parkinsons and is beleived to work by stimulating the immune system. I don't know what kind of research is going into meds the stimulate the immune system, but such medications could be used to treat everything from the common cold to cancer. Future kids could hear their moms tell them "don't go outside without taking your immune stimulant!" Any way my point is that although the snake bite market is small, it may benefit from future research primary aimed at cancer, parkinson or some other illness, where manipulating the bodies own immune system is the key.

I think it would have to be snake specific. Just like another high risk activity you can take place in without the use of proper equiptment to protect you from the consequences. However, it only protects you from one possible outcome and if you do not take the medication at very precise times the risks still exist. Then of course you are going to have people still fighting for abstaning from keeping venomous snakes all together : )

Al, your original revalation with Bin Laden was hilarious!

Yes, vaccines can be produced, and yes, all the money needed for this has gone elsewhere. Funny thing though, is that there is a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs!

The vaccine doesn't get rid of all effects, but puts a death, into the the made it out of the hospital catagory.

As far as Bill Haast's blood being legal antivenom...(shakes head), just ask the FDA's opinion on that and see what they come up with.

It's funny though. Injecting venom into your body. This is not a vaccine (vaccines are made safer by inactivating the active ingredients) This can kill you of course. Yes, many knowledgeable people have done this for their protection, but the injections are not fun, and esp. in the beginning, you suffer from snake bite symptoms and it is very painfull. Why would you do all of this when (if your a keeper) it is much easier and safer to just not get bit, and then have antivenom available for just in case? For those in the feild or who milk, or what not, it is a personal decision, but there are still things to do that minimize the bite factor.