FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What are snakebites?
Snakebites are incisions caused by snake fangs on human skin

Q. Are all snakebites fatal?
Majority of snakebites are not fatal but some snakes can cause death or disability when they bite a person. The survival of a victim bitten by a venomous snake will depend on how fast the patient accesses emergency medical assistance

Q. Which are some of the dangerous snake species in Kenya?
Some of the dangerous snakes in Kenya in include the Cobra, black mamba, Green Mamba, Puff Adder, carpet viper among others.

Q. What is antivenom?
Antivenom or Anti–snake venom (ASV) is an immunoglobulin prepared by immunizing horses with the venom of poisonous snakes and subsequently extracting and purifying the horses' serum. These are then passed through several sterile procedure, standards and tests before they are packaged and used as antivenom. They are the only effective antidote for snake bites.

Q. How does anti-venom serum work?
Anti- venoms or Anti-snake venom (ASV) may be species specific (monovalent/monospecific), or may be effective against several species (polyvalent/polyspecific). Antibodies raised against the venom of one species may have cross-neutralizing activity against other venoms usually from closely related species. This is known as Para specific activity. The WHO and other international bodies recommend that the most effective treatment for snakebite is the administration of monospecific ASV. However this is not always available because of its high cost, frequent lack of availability, and the difficulty in correctly identifying the snake.