Snakebite Help From an Unlikely Source
by Richard Lapidus on 03/29/15According to a recent article in the Washington Post, opossums may hold the key to new effective snakebite antivenoms.
Tests on lab mice injected with venom from the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and Russell's Viper were effective with the new opossum therapy.
This is good news for two reasons. There have been widespread shortages of traditional "horse serum" antivenoms, and the traditional treatments often cause severe reactive side effects. So far these side effects have been absent with the opossum treatment.
One objection I have is the widespread use of the word "poison" in the Washington Post article. When will the public learn to use the word "venomous"?
Comments (0)
