Yang Hongchang, boss of a snake rearing company, extracts venom from a snake at the snake farm in Zisiqiao village, Zhejiang Province June 15, 2011. Residents of Zisiqiao Village, also known as the snake town, raise over 3 million snakes a year for food a
Yang Hongchang, boss of a snake rearing company, extracts venom from a snake at the snake farm in Zisiqiao village, Zhejiang Province June 15, 2011. Residents of Zisiqiao Village, also known as the snake town, raise over 3 million snakes a year for food and medicinal purposes. REUTERS/Aly Song REUTERS/Aly Song

Approximately 30,000 deaths occur every year due to snake bites. There is a lot of complications that are attached to the treatment involved in saving a person, but by a snake. There are a lot of side effects that come with the treatment and till date, there is no universal anti-venom drug developed for snake bite.

Scientists from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), for the first time, are attempting to develop a universal anti venom drug. The drug is being developed in sub-Saharan Africa. For the drug, they have taken venom from 80 snakes out of the 400 snakes the institute has.

Attempts to create a multi-species anti-venom drug have been made in the past, but the problem arises in the process of creation. The process involves extracting the venom from the snakes and injecting them in low doses in horses or sheep. According to The Times of India, this induces an immune response and the animals produce antibodies. But since the venom is from many species the antibodies are produced for just one and so the anti venom created from the antibodies is very weak.

The new research will be a breakthrough in the development of antivenom drugs for snake bites. Dr. Robert Harrison, the lead scientist for the research, said that since most often the drugs are expensive, they are making the drug cheap and it will also be much more effective and comparatively safer. He also stated that it can be used anywhere in the south of Sahara.

Dr. Harrison also talked about the importance of the drug, since there are nearly 20 different deadly species of snakes in Sub-Saharan Africa and people who get bitten by them have low chances of surviving. Doctors often treat the patients depending on the description they give of the snake and this can reduce the chances of the patient surviving. He further explained that due to this many vials are administered and this causes severe side effects, even if they survive some are left with lifelong disabilities.

Researchers will use the protein from the venom that they have collected to devise the universal snake bite drug, reports BBC News. The drug is also being made such that it can be stored in hot climates like that in the Sahara.

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