Snakebite: Researchers purify commercial Indian antivenoms, find them more potent

What is the News?

Researchers from the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru have shown that purifying commercial antivenoms available in Indian markets can make them more potent and thus save more lives of snakebite victims.

Snakebite Deaths in India

India is home to over 300 species of snakes. Of these, only around 60 described snake species are capable of causing harm to humans. 

But, over 58,000 people die in India every year and three times the number suffer permanent disabilities due to snakebites.

Note: In 2017, the World Health Organization(WHO) included snakebite into the list of ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’ — a diverse group of tropical infections affecting poor communities in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

What is the problem with the treatment available against snakebite in India?

There are a number of problems with the antivenoms available currently in the Indian market. These are:

Firstly, the current antivenoms are very ineffective.

Secondly, the existing Indian antivenoms are produced exclusively against the so-called ‘big four’ Indian snakes: the spectacled cobra (Naja naja), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) and saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus).

What has been done by the researchers to overcome this problem?

Researchers have purified antivenoms at the production stage through a purification process known as chromatographic purification. This has made antivenoms more potent and thus save more lives of snakebite victims.

Source: This post is based on the article “Snakebite: Researchers purify commercial Indian antivenoms, find them more potent” published in Down To Earth on 7th Mar 2022.