The life-threatening nerve poison of the black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) can strike twice. Victims of the bite of this snake, which is considered one of the most poisonous on earth, sometimes have a severe second reaction to the snake venom even after being treated with an antiserum.
The mamba poison initially causes severe paralysis in the victim. This can be fatal if it also causes the heart or breathing muscles to relax. It is therefore important that the victim is administered antiserum as soon as possible. But sometimes a second reaction with the opposite effect follows unexpectedly after that treatment. The victim’s muscles then contract in a very painful spasm, which can also be life-threatening.
This is evident from research by a team led by Australian snake specialist Bryan Fry. The first effect of the poison (muscle relaxation) masks a second effect (muscle cramping); if antibodies in the antiserum neutralize the first poison effect, the way is clear for a second attack. A laboratory test showed that this phenomenon occurs with all three antisera used in Africa, but that it depends on where the snake comes from. The precise composition of the poison appears to vary per region. The risk of a double venom blow also exists in two other relatives, the green mamba and the Jameson’s mamba, but not the narrow-headed mamba. The poison of the latter has an immediate convulsive effect. The research suggests that antisera can be made more effective to save more lives.
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