Latest news with #snakebite
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
With rising temperatures in North Carolina, hospitals report uptick of snake bites
CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — Hospitals throughout the central North Carolina said they're seeing more patients with snake bites walking through their doors. Raleigh native Anita McLoud went through the whole experience when she was bitten by a copperhead in her backyard. She never imagined she'd find herself calling 911 in the hospital, and with a venomous bite. After checking on her chickens during a night in August, McLoud said she turned around to walk back to her house when she had a startling surprise. 'One of the first two things I remember learning from my mom is how to identify a copperhead and how to identify poison ivy,' McLoud said. 'Those were the things you needed to know going out of the house. 'I was in my backyard,' she said. 'I had not seen a snake there in 23 years that I lived there and I was wearing flip flops.' 'My first thought was it's a stick. Within a split second, I [realized] that was not a stick. Was it a snake? I turned and there he was.' According to McLoud, medical staff measured the swelling near the bite every 30 minutes. While she never needed antivenom, doctors gave her morphine for the pain. She said the swelling, pain, and discoloration lasted around five-six weeks. 'I was fortunate that way,' McLoud said. 'They told me at the time, only 23% of people who got bit had to receive the antivenom.' According to Duke Health officials, hospitals usually see more than 100 snakebite patients per year across the health system, with the number of cases typically peaking in July. Since April, officials said emergency departments at Duke University, Duke Regional Hospital and Raleigh Regional Hospital have treated 22 bites this season, which staff said typically starts in April. Officials at WakeMed said an emergency department reported nine patients since June 1, six just between June 14 and June 17. Last year, they saw an increase from 15 patients treated for bites in June to 40 in July. UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill reported 18 patients from March to mid-June, slightly higher than the same time last year. 'The numbers increase as the weather gets warmer, especially when it's hot and more of us work/play in the yard early in the morning or in the evening—when snakes get more active, too,' staff said in a statement. Talena Chavis of Cary, the owner of NC Snake Catcher has studied snakes for nearly 30 years. She said the summer season typically comes with 8-10 calls a day, often to safely move and relocate snakes. 'I actually don't encourage folks to try to ID snakes themselves because Mother Nature throws curveballs,' Chavis said. 'Even with copperheads, the pattern changes a lot.' North Carolina has six venomous snakes. According to Chavis, the copperhead's bite is rarely fatal. 'Every season, copperheads are our number one snake,' Chavis said. 'To say that we have a surplus or even an overpopulation is not is not off topic.' Chavis believes more encounters have been attributed to more growth and development. The species has also adapted to urban and suburban areas. 'They're not really afraid of loud noises,' she said. 'They don't care about fireworks, blowers, lawnmowers. These guys just don't really care because they're an ambush predator.' According to Chavis, most bites happen during night hours when copperheads are searching for heat and their prey. Most the time, she said people just happen to get in the way. Chavis advises people to be more cautious, aware, and put on boots. 'I firmly believe if people wore their boots in the yard and watched where they put their hands, the number of copperhead bites would be cut in half,' she said. Even after her encounter, McLoud said she now works with the reptiles. 'I've really been enjoying it,' McLoud said. 'I wasn't upset with the snake. He's just doing his 'self-defense' thing. If someone stepped on me, I'd probably react as well.' Duke Health officials also continue to share more information about snakebite safety. If bitten, they said to go to your local hospital—never push off the visit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Free Malaysia Today
10-06-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Man who let snakes bite him 200 times spurs new antivenom hope
There are around 600 venomous snakes in the world today. (AFP pic) PARIS : Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the Sept 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him. Four days later, he woke up from a coma. 'I know what it feels like to die from snakebite,' Friede told AFP via video call from his home in the small US town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This experience might put most people off snakes entirely, but Friede simply vowed to be more careful next time. From 2000 to 2018, he allowed himself to be bitten by snakes more than 200 times. He also injected himself with their venom over 650 times. Friede endured this pain because he wanted to achieve total immunity to venom, a practice called mithridatism which should not be tried at home. After a couple of years, Friede started to believe he could be the basis for a better kind of antivenom. The former truck mechanic, who does not have a university degree, long struggled to be taken seriously by scientists. But last month, a study published in the prestigious Cell journal showed that antibodies from his blood protect against a range of snake venom. The researchers now hope Friede's hyper-immunity could even lead to the development of a universal antivenom. This would fill a major need, because currently most antivenoms only cover one or a few of the world's 600 venomous snakes. Up to 138,000 people are killed by snakebites a year, while 400,000 suffer amputations or other disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. These figures are believed to be vastly underestimated because snakebite victims typically live in poorer, remote areas. 'Pain every time' Friede's first bite was from a harmless garter snake when he was five years old. 'I was afraid, I cried, I ran away,' said Friede, now 57. Then he started bringing snakes home and hiding them in pickle jars. His mother sought counselling, but his interest in snakes persisted. Things escalated after Friede attended a class that taught him how to 'milk' snakes for their venom. How antivenom is made has changed little over the last 125 years. Small doses of snake venom are injected into animals such as horses, which produce antibodies that can be extracted and used as antivenom. However this antivenom usually only works for bites from that particular species of snake – and it includes other antibodies from horse that can cause serious side-effects including anaphylactic shock. 'I thought, well, if they make antivenom in horses, why can't I just use myself as a primate?' Friede said. He started working through the venom from all the deadly species he could get his hands on, such as cobras, taipans, black mambas and rattlesnakes. 'There is pain every time,' he said. 'Proud' For years, the scientists he contacted to take advantage of his immunity refused to bite. Then in 2017, immunologist Jacob Glanville, who previously worked on universal vaccines, turned his attention towards antivenom. Glanville told AFP he had been looking for 'a clumsy snake researcher who'd been bit accidentally a couple times,' when he came across a video of Friede taking brutal back-to-back snake bites. When they first spoke, Glanville said he told Friede: 'I know this is awkward, but I would love to get my hands on some of your blood.' 'I've been waiting for this call for a long time,' came the response, Glanville said. The antivenom described in the Cell paper includes two antibodies from Friede's blood, as well as a drug called varespladib. It offered mice full protection against 13 of the 19 snake species tested, and partial protection for the remaining six. The researchers hope a future cocktail will cover far more snakes – particularly vipers – with further trials planned on dogs in Australia. Timothy Jackson of the Australian Venom Research Unit praised the immunological research, but questioned whether a human needed to be involved, pointing to synthetically developed antibodies. Glanville said the ultimate goal of his US-based firm Centivax was to develop a universal antivenom administered by something like an EpiPen, potentially produced in India to keep the costs down. Friede said he was 'proud' to have made a 'small difference' in medical history. Now working for Centivax, Friede stopped self-inflicting himself with venom in 2018 to save the firm from liability issues. But he hopes to get bitten by snakes again in the future. 'I do miss it,' he said.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
High school student airlifted to safety after rattlesnake bite on remote fishing trip
A high school student was airlifted to the hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake while on a remote fishing trip in North Carolina. Zain Shah, 17, was hiking in the Pisgah National Forest when he was bitten by the snake about two miles from the nearest road. A North Carolina National Guard Blackhawk was dispatched to the area along with a rescue team. The rattlesnake bit him around 5 p.m. on June 5 while he was walking along Lost Cove Creek. He was later airlifted to Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, according to The News & Observer. The teenager was hiking with his friend Kevin Foley, 18. The two had planned to fish until it got dark and then camp for the evening. 'At the point where we were about to turn back, I stepped over a log and as my foot landed, I felt a prick,' he told the newspaper. 'It was painless. I looked down and see a rattlesnake sitting there. I think: 'No way that just happened.' But I rolled down my sock and see two red dots and blood coming out. I knew it was potentially deadly.' Zain Shah did not have cell service but used his friend's phone to dial 911. A dispatcher told him it would be too dangerous for him to try to walk back to his vehicle. It's believed the teen, who took a photo of the reptile, was bitten by a timber rattlesnake. The reptile can reach up to seven feet and has venom that is 'potent enough to kill a human,' according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. After the reptile bit him, Zain Shah said his body began to tingle and he developed pins and needles. At one point, he thought he was going into shock. It took two hours for rescuers to reach him. He told the outlet he did not have a strong reaction to the bite, leading medical professionals to believe it may have been a dry bite, which means either little or no venom was released. Still, bloodwork later confirmed he was still at risk of uncontrolled bleeding. Medical professionals administered 12 vials of antivenom over three days in the hospital, he told the outlet. Zain Shah, who is due to graduate from high school later this month, is grateful to the first responders and his friend for coming to his aid. 'All of them saved my life,' he said. 'I wouldn't be here without the help of so many people. I have ventured alone into the mountains before, but I'll never do that again. The buddy system only from now on, but this will not keep me from going back out there.' His father took to social media to also thank the medical team. 'What started as a fun end-of-high-school fishing trip for my son and his buddy in the western North Carolina mountains turned deadly when he was bitten by a timber rattlesnake deep in the woods,' Imran Shah wrote on Facebook. 'I'm beyond grateful for the incredible NCHART and Linville-Central Rescue teams, who got to them in the middle of nowhere and saved his life! He was air-lifted to and treated at Johnson City Medical Center, Tennessee, and is now recovering at home. We are forever in your debt.'
Khaleej Times
08-06-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Man who let snakes bite him 200 times spurs new antivenom hope
Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the September 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him. Four days later, he woke up from a coma. "I know what it feels like to die from snakebite," Friede told AFP via video call from his home in the small US town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This experience might put most people off snakes entirely, but Friede simply vowed to be more careful next time. From 2000 to 2018, he allowed himself to be bitten by snakes more than 200 times. He also injected himself with their venom over 650 times. Friede endured this pain because he wanted to achieve total immunity to venom, a practice called mithridatism which should not be tried at home. After a couple of years, Friede started to believe he could be the basis for a better kind of antivenom. The former truck mechanic, who does not have a university degree, long struggled to be taken seriously by scientists. But last month, a study published in the prestigious Cell journal showed that antibodies from his blood protect against a range of snake venom. The researchers now hope Friede's hyper-immunity could even lead to the development of a universal antivenom. This would fill a major need, because currently most antivenoms only cover one or a few of the world's 600 venomous snakes. Up to 138,000 people are killed by snakebites a year, while 400,000 suffer amputations or other disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. These figures are believed to be vastly underestimated because snakebite victims typically live in poorer, remote areas. 'Pain every time' Friede's first bite was from a harmless garter snake when he was five years old. "I was afraid, I cried, I ran away," said Friede, now 57. Then he started bringing snakes home and hiding them in pickle jars. His mother sought counselling, but his interest in snakes persisted. Things escalated after Friede attended a class that taught him how to "milk" snakes for their venom. How antivenom is made has changed little over the last 125 years. Small doses of snake venom are injected into animals such as horses, which produce antibodies that can be extracted and used as antivenom. However this antivenom usually only works for bites from that particular species of snake -- and it includes other antibodies from horse that can cause serious side-effects including anaphylactic shock. "I thought, well, if they make antivenom in horses, why can't I just use myself as a primate?" Friede said. He started working through the venom from all the deadly species he could get his hands on, such as cobras, taipans, black mambas and rattlesnakes. "There is pain every time," he said. 'Proud' For years, the scientists he contacted to take advantage of his immunity refused to bite. Then in 2017, immunologist Jacob Glanville, who previously worked on universal vaccines, turned his attention towards antivenom. Glanville told AFP he had been looking for "a clumsy snake researcher who'd been bit accidentally a couple times," when he came across a video of Friede taking brutal back-to-back snake bites. When they first spoke, Glanville said he told Friede: "I know this is awkward, but I would love to get my hands on some of your blood." "I've been waiting for this call for a long time," came the response, Glanville said. The antivenom described in the Cell paper includes two antibodies from Friede's blood, as well as a drug called varespladib. It offered mice full protection against 13 of the 19 snake species tested, and partial protection for the remaining six. The researchers hope a future cocktail will cover far more snakes -- particularly vipers -- with further trials planned on dogs in Australia. Timothy Jackson of the Australian Venom Research Unit praised the immunological research, but questioned whether a human needed to be involved, pointing to synthetically developed antibodies. Glanville said the ultimate goal of his US-based firm Centivax was to develop a universal antivenom administered by something like an EpiPen, potentially produced in India to keep the costs down. Friede said he was "proud" to have made a "small difference" in medical history. Now working for Centivax, Friede stopped self-inflicting himself with venom in 2018 to save the firm from liability issues. But he hopes to get bitten by snakes again in the future. "I do miss it," he said.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man who let snakes bite him 200 times spurs new antivenom hope
Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the September 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him. Four days later, he woke up from a coma. "I know what it feels like to die from snakebite," Friede told AFP via video call from his home in the small US town of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This experience might put most people off snakes entirely, but Friede simply vowed to be more careful next time. From 2000 to 2018, he allowed himself to be bitten by snakes more than 200 times. He also injected himself with their venom over 650 times. Friede endured this pain because he wanted to achieve total immunity to venom, a practice called mithridatism which should not be tried at home. After a couple of years, Friede started to believe he could be the basis for a better kind of antivenom. The former truck mechanic, who does not have a university degree, long struggled to be taken seriously by scientists. But last month, a study published in the prestigious Cell journal showed that antibodies from his blood protect against a range of snake venom. The researchers now hope Friede's hyper-immunity could even lead to the development of a universal antivenom. This would fill a major need, because currently most antivenoms only cover one or a few of the world's 600 venomous snakes. Up to 138,000 people are killed by snakebites a year, while 400,000 suffer amputations or other disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. These figures are believed to be vastly underestimated because snakebite victims typically live in poorer, remote areas. - 'Pain every time' - Friede's first bite was from a harmless garter snake when he was five years old. "I was afraid, I cried, I ran away," said Friede, now 57. Then he started bringing snakes home and hiding them in pickle jars. His mother sought counselling, but his interest in snakes persisted. Things escalated after Friede attended a class that taught him how to "milk" snakes for their venom. How antivenom is made has changed little over the last 125 years. Small doses of snake venom are injected into animals such as horses, which produce antibodies that can be extracted and used as antivenom. However this antivenom usually only works for bites from that particular species of snake -- and it includes other antibodies from horse that can cause serious side-effects including anaphylactic shock. "I thought, well, if they make antivenom in horses, why can't I just use myself as a primate?" Friede said. He started working through the venom from all the deadly species he could get his hands on, such as cobras, taipans, black mambas and rattlesnakes. "There is pain every time," he said. - 'Proud' - For years, the scientists he contacted to take advantage of his immunity refused to bite. Then in 2017, immunologist Jacob Glanville, who previously worked on universal vaccines, turned his attention towards antivenom. Glanville told AFP he had been looking for "a clumsy snake researcher who'd been bit accidentally a couple times," when he came across a video of Friede taking brutal back-to-back snake bites. When they first spoke, Glanville said he told Friede: "I know this is awkward, but I would love to get my hands on some of your blood." "I've been waiting for this call for a long time," came the response, Glanville said. The antivenom described in the Cell paper includes two antibodies from Friede's blood, as well as a drug called varespladib. It offered mice full protection against 13 of the 19 snake species tested, and partial protection for the remaining six. The researchers hope a future cocktail will cover far more snakes -- particularly vipers -- with further trials planned on dogs in Australia. Timothy Jackson of the Australian Venom Research Unit praised the immunological research, but questioned whether a human needed to be involved, pointing to synthetically developed antibodies. Glanville said the ultimate goal of his US-based firm Centivax was to develop a universal antivenom administered by something like an EpiPen, potentially produced in India to keep the costs down. Friede said he was "proud" to have made a "small difference" in medical history. Now working for Centivax, Friede stopped self-inflicting himself with venom in 2018 to save the firm from liability issues. But he hopes to get bitten by snakes again in the future. "I do miss it," he said. dl/giv
