The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a deadly venomous snake native to Africa. Its chunk is one among a number of that could possibly be handled with a brand new common antivenom… developed from a human named Tim Friede.
Michele D’Amico/Getty Photographs
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Michele D’Amico/Getty Photographs
The Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) is a deadly venomous snake native to Africa. Its chunk is one among a number of that could possibly be handled with a brand new common antivenom… developed from a human named Tim Friede.
Michele D’Amico/Getty Photographs
What’s it prefer to get bit by a venomous snake?
“It is like a bee sting instances a thousand,” Tim Friede says.
Friede would know. Over the previous few a long time, he is let himself be bitten over 200 instances, by every kind of venomous snakes — black mambas, taipans, cobras, kraits, and extra. He calls it his “declare to fame.”
The bites have despatched him to the ICU, put him into comas and extra. However with time, he is regularly constructed up an immunity to a number of forms of venom.
That made him marvel: May this interest of his be used for public good? If he survived all these toxins, may scientists share his immunity with different individuals, too?
The World Well being Group estimates that yearly, between one and three million individuals are bitten by venomous snakes. Of these individuals, tens of hundreds die; hundreds extra are completely disabled.
Prime quality antivenoms are thought of the best remedy for envenomation. These current antivenoms normally come from home animals, like horses, which were injected with small quantities of a particular venom to supply antibodies that determine and neutralize its toxins.
Researchers who studied Friede’s blood hope to synthesize a remedy that could possibly be used for a number of totally different sorts of venomous snake bites — a common antivenom.
Wish to hear about extra medical discoveries? E-mail us at [email protected] to inform us what areas of science you would be fascinated about.
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This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn and edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the details. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer. Particular because of Johannes Doerge.
