Venomous snakebite in Thailand. I: Medically important snakes

Area of Science:

• Herpetology
• Toxicology
• Public Health

Background:

• Thailand possesses a diverse range of venomous snakes, primarily from the Elapidae and Viperidae families.
• Elapidae species include cobras (Naja spp.), kraits (Bungarus spp.), and the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), known for potent neurotoxic venoms.
• Viperidae snakes, including pit vipers and Russell's viper, possess tissue and hemotoxic venoms, posing occupational risks to agricultural workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of venomous snakes in Thailand.
• To highlight the types of venom and associated risks.
• To discuss the availability and application of antivenins.

Main Methods:

• Review of venomous snake species found in Thailand.
• Classification of snakes based on venom type (neurotoxic, tissue/hemotoxic).
• Identification of snakes for which local antivenins are manufactured.

Main Results:

• Key venomous snake genera in Thailand include Naja, Bungarus, Ophiophagus, Calliophis, Trimeresurus, Calloselasma, and Daboia.
• Elapidae snakes have potent neurotoxins but rarely bite humans; Viperidae snakes pose an occupational hazard causing significant morbidity.
• Locally manufactured equine antivenins are available for several medically significant species, including monocled cobra, Siamese spitting cobra, king cobra, banded krait, green pit vipers, Malayan pit viper, and Siamese Russell's viper.

Conclusions:

• While Thailand has numerous venomous snakes, effective and widely available antivenins mitigate severe outcomes, particularly deaths.
• Understanding snake species and venom types is crucial for managing snakebite incidents and public health in Thailand.
• The local production of antivenins is vital for treating snakebites effectively in agricultural and rural communities.