Bites and stings from venomous animals: a global overview

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Clinical Medicine
• Zoology

Background:

• Venomous and poisonous animals pose a significant global health threat, causing substantial morbidity and mortality.
• Snakebites alone result in over 3 million bites and 150,000 deaths annually, with a severe economic impact in rural tropical regions.
• Australia possesses unique venomous fauna, including highly toxic elapid snakes and lethal spiders, alongside medically significant marine species.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a global overview of venomous animals, focusing on their clinical impact on humans.
• To highlight the distinctive venomous fauna of Australia, including snakes, spiders, and marine life.
• To discuss the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic potential of venoms and toxins.

Main Methods:

• Review of selected aspects of venomous and poisonous animals and their clinical impact.
• Focus on global perspective with an emphasis on Australian fauna and clinical aspects.
• Examination of venom composition, delivery mechanisms, and toxic effects.

Main Results:

• Australian elapid snakes possess highly toxic venoms with diverse effects (neurotoxins, myotoxins, nephrotoxins, coagulopathies), but lack potent necrotoxins found in other species.
• Specialized antivenoms and a venom detection kit aid in targeted therapy for Australian snakebites.
• Australia's venomous spiders (funnel-webs, red-backs) and marine species present significant clinical challenges and offer valuable toxins for research and therapeutics.

Conclusions:

• Venomous animal envenomation remains a critical global health issue, particularly in Australia.
• Australian venomous fauna present unique toxicological profiles and clinical challenges.
• Venoms are valuable research tools and hold promise for future therapeutic applications.