Management of Snakebite and Research Management of Snakebite ...

Management of Snakebite and Research
66
plays an important role in preparation of antivenom for common use. It will also help in
understanding of the clinical and pathophysiology of Russell’s viper bite cases from different
localities. This report concerns the study of biological properties of venoms collected from
five snakebite endemic divisions of Myanmar namely Mandalay, Magwe, Ayerawaddy,
Yangon and Bago.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Russell’s vipers caught from five divisions (Figure), namely Mandalay, Magwe, Yangon,
Ayerawaddy and Bago were housed separately and kept in the snake farm of Myanmar
Pharmaceutical Factory. Venom milked from
Individual snake was lyophilized and pooled
according to locality and length into young (90 cm) and stored in dark at 40C. For determination of biological activities of the
venom, it was reconstituted in distilled water to a
concentration of 1mg/ml, aliquoted and stored
frozen at -200 Sstudy areas
C.
RESULTS
Biological properties of the venom such as
lethality (LD 50 ), coagulant (MCD), haemorrhagic
(MHD), necrotic (MND), defibrinogenating (MDD)
and capillary permeability increasing activities
(MCPID) were studied according to WHO
recommended techniques (Theakston and Reid,
1983).
Biological properties of Russell’s viper venoms of Mandalay (Table 1), Magwe (Table 2),
Bago (Table 3), Ayerawaddy (Table 4) and Yangon (Table 5) divisions are presented in
respective tables.
Table 1. Biological properties of Russell’s viper venoms of Mandalay division
Source of
venom
Length
of snake
(cm)
Number
of snakes
pooled
LD 50 f
µg/mouse
MCD*
µg/ml
MDD
µg/mouse
MHD
µg/rat
MND
µg/rat
MCPID*
µg/ml
Kyauksae 80 40 14.35+3.90 1.355 12 54.33 47.86 NT
Thazi 80 40 3.75+1.94 0.630 2 54.95 39.31 0.0707
Wundwin 90-102 2 7.25+2.51 3.162 3 67.61 56.23 0.01479
ƒ = 95% fiducial limit
NT= not detected
Results are mean of duplicates and triplicates*