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By Lee I-chia / Staff press reporter
More than 1,000 individuals in Taiwan are bitten by poisonous snakes every year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said the other day, prompting individuals to stay alert for 6 typical kinds of poisonous snakes.
Reports of snakebites generally start to increase in April, as the weather condition ends up being warmer and more damp, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said, prompting individuals to be mindful throughout outside activities.
CDC Center for Research, Diagnostics and Vaccine Development area chief Cheng Ya-fen (鄭雅芬), who is likewise a vet, said that the 6 typical kinds of poisonous snakes in Taiwan are the pointed-scaled pit viper, the green bamboo viper and the Chinese moccasin (hundred-pace viper), which have hemorrhagic toxic substances in their venom; the typical cobra and the many-banded krait (Taiwanese krait), which have neurotoxic venom; and the Russell’s viper, whose venom is hemotoxic and neurotoxic.
Photo thanks to the Centers for Disease Control
The pointed-scaled pit viper has a pointed and triangular head, and can be discovered concealing in woodpiles or bushes, Cheng said, including that the reptile is understood to get in houses in search of food.
The green bamboo viper likewise has a triangular head and is frequently discovered in trees and bushes, Cheng said, while the typical cobra frequently raises up and spreads its hood when alarmed.
The many-banded krait has a little oval head and small teeth, she said, including that individuals who have actually been bitten often hold-up treatment, due to the fact that the bite can be little and pain-free initially.
Cheng said the Russell’s viper is frequently discovered on river gravel and in sugar walking cane fields in eastern and southern Taiwan, and generally coils its body and makes a hissing noise when interrupted.
The Chinese moccasin is mainly discovered in mountainous locations in eastern and southern Taiwan, and generally conceals under fallen leaves, she said.
“Most of these venomous snakes are afraid of humans, so if you keep your distance, they usually will not attack unless they feel threatened,” Cheng said, including that individuals can utilize a travelling pole to stir lawn or weeds to surprise snakes when treking to avoid snakebites.
Cheng said the CDC is the country’s sole manufacturer of snake antivenom and more than 3,700 vials are offered to health care centers each year, of which about 2,800 are administered annual.
Of the administered vials, about 2,500 are for pointed-scaled pit viper or green bamboo viper bites, about 400 vials prevail cobra or many-branded krait bites, and just a couple of vials are Chinese moccasin or Russell’s viper bites, she included.
CDC doctor Chao Pei-jiuan (趙珮娟) said the center motivates “five dos and do nots” if bitten by a snake.
The 5 “dos” are: considering any snakebite poisonous and utilizing emergency treatment, taking an image of the snake to assist with recognition, eliminating all devices prior to the bitten limb begins to swell, using a plaster above the injury to slow the spread of venom, and keeping one’s cool and looking for medical attention right away.
The 5 “do nots” are: do not cut the injury, do not attempt to draw the venom out, do not use ice, do not consume caffeine or alcohol, as it accelerates the body’s absorption of venom, and do not postpone looking for medical treatment, Cheng said.
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