top of page

ANTI-VENOM

  •  Antivenin (or anti-venom or anti-venene) is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings.

  • Anti-venom is created by milking venom from a relevant snake, spider, insect, or fish. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep, rabbit, or goat. The subject animal will undergo an immune response to the venom, producing antibodies against the venom's active molecules which can then be harvested from the animal's blood and used to treat envenomation.

  • Internationally, anti-venoms must conform to the standards of pharmacopoeia and the World Health Organization also known as (WHO). The principle of anti-venom is based on that of vaccines, developed by Edward Jenner; however, instead of inducing immunity in the patient directly, it is induced in a host animal and the hyper immunized serum is transfused into the patient.

  • Anti-venoms can be classified into monovalent (when they are effective against a single species' venom) or polyvalent (when they are effective against a range of species, or several different species at the same time).

  • The first anti-venom for snakes (called an anti-ophidic serum) was developed by Albert Calmette, a French scientist of the Pasteur Institute working at its Indochine branch in 1895, against the Indian Cobra (Naja naja).

  • In 1901, Vital Brazil, working at the Instituto Butantanin São Paulo, Brazil, developed the first monovalent and polyvalent anti-venoms for Central and South American Crotalus and Bothrops genera, as well as for certain species of venomous spiders, scorpions, and frogs.

  • Anti-venoms for therapeutic use are often preserved as freeze-dried ampoules, but some are available only in liquid form and must be kept refrigerated.

  • They are not immediately inactivated by heat, however, so a minor gap in the cold chain is not disastrous.

  • The majority of anti-venoms (including all snake anti-venoms) are administered intravenously; however, stonefish and red back spider anti-venoms are given intramuscularly.

  • The intramuscular route has been questioned in some situations as not uniformly effective.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

1. Polyvalent snake antivenom

 Antivenom: Polyvalent snake antivenom

 Species: South American Rattlesnake Crotalus durissus and fer-de-lance Bothrops asper

 Country: Mexico (Instituto Bioclon)

 

2. Polyvalent snake antivenom

 Antivenom: Polyvalent snake antivenom

 Species: South American Rattlesnake Crotalus durissus and fer-de-lance Bothrops asper

 Country: South America

 

3. INOSERP MENA

 Antivenom: INOSERP MENA

 Species: Bitis arietans, Cerastes cerastes, Naja haje, Macrovipera lebetina obtusa, Vipera palestinae, Naja pallida, Naja nigricollis, Walterinnesia            aegyptia, Echis leucogaster, Macrovipera deserti, Cerastes vipera, Cerastes gasperettii, Echis coloratus,  Echis pyrramidum, Echis khosatzkii, Echis      sochureki, Echis megalocephalus, Echis omanensis, Echis carinatus sochureki; Macrovipera lebetine transmediterranea, Macrovipera                              lebetina turanica, Macrovipera mauritanica, Naja nubiae, Pseudocerastes persicus fieldi, Pseudocerastes persicus  persicus, Vipera bornmuelleri,          Vipera latastei, Vipera raddei kurdistanica

 Country: Spain

 

4. INOSERP Pan-Africa (Sub-Sahara) 

Aivenom: INOSERP Pan-Africa (Sub-Sahara)

 Species: Naja nigricollis, Dendroaspis polylepis, Echis ocellatus, Bitis arietans, Echis leucogaster, Echis pyramidum, Echis coloratus, Bitis gabonica, Bitis gabonica rhinoceros, Dendroaspis viridis, Dendroaspis angusticeps, Dendroaspis jamesoni, Naja haje, Naja pallida, Naja melanoleuca

 Country: Spain

 

5. Polyvalent snake antivenom

Antivenom: Polyvalent snake antivenom

Species: Saw-scaled Viper Echis carinatus, Russell's Viper Daboia russelli, Spectacled Cobra Naja naja, Common Krait Bungarus caeruleus

Country: India 

 

6. Death adder antivenom

Antivenom: Death adder antivenom

Species: Death adder antivenom

Country: Australia

 

7. Taipan antivenom

Antivenom: Taipan

Species: Taipan

Country: Australia

 

8. Black snake antivenom

Antivenom: Black snake antivenom

Species: Pseudechis spp

Country: Australia

 

9. Tiger snake antivenom

Antivenom: Tiger snake antivenom

Species: Australian copperheads, Tiger snakes, Pseudechis spp., Rough scaled snake
Country: Australia 

 

10. Brown snake antivenom

Antivenom: Brown snake antivenom

Species: Brown snakes 

Country: Australia

 

11. Polyvalent snake antivenom

Anivenom: Polyvalent snake antivenom

Species: Many Austalian snakes

Country: Australia

 

12. Sea snake antivenom

Antivenom: Sea snake antivenom

Species: Sea snakes

Country: Australia

 

13. Vipera tab

Antivenom: Vipera tab

Species: Vipera spp

Country:UK

 

15. Polyvalent cratalid antivenin (CroFab-Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine))

Antivenom: Polyvalent cratalid antivenin (CroFab-Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine))

Species: North American pit vipers (all rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths)

Country: North America

 

 

16. Soro antibotropicocrotalico

Antivenom: Soro antibotropicocrotalico

Species: Pit vipers and rattlesnakes

Country: Brazil

 

17. Antielapidico

Antivenom: Antielapidico

Species: Coral snake

Country: Brazil

 

18. SAIMR polyvalent antivenom

Antivenom: SAIMR polyvalent antivenom

Species: Mambas, Cobras, Rinkhalses, Puff adders (Unsuitable small adders: B. worthingtoni, B. atropos, B. caudalis, B. cornuta, B. heraldica, B. inornata, B. peringueyi, B. schneideri, B. xeropaga)

Country: South Africa

 

19. SAIMR echis antivenom

Antivenom: SAIMR echis antivenom

Species: Saw-scaled vipers

Country: South Africa

 

20. SAIMR Boomslang antivenom

Antivenom: SAIMR Boomslang antivenom

Species: Boomslang

Country: South Africa

 

21. Panamerican serum

Antivenom: Panamerican serum

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Costa Rica

 

22. Anticoral

Antivenom: Anticoral

Species: Coral snake

Country: Costa Rica

 

23. Anti-mipartitus antivenom

Antivenom: Anti-mipartitus antivenom

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Costa Rica

 

24. Anticoral monovalent

Antivenom: Anticoral monovalent

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Costa Rica

 

25. Antimicrurus

Antivenom: Antimicrurus

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Argentina

 

26. Coralmyn

Antivenom: Coralmyn

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Mexico

 

27. Anti-micruricoscorales

Antivenom: Anti-micruricoscorales

Species: Coral snakes

Country: Colombia

 

bottom of page