Rising snakebite deaths heighten calls for local anti-venom drug production

<p>Medics at the various centres blamed the rising number of death cases on the lack of ASV required for the treatment of bites from snakes in Nigeria.</p>, <span>A snakebite victim receiving treatment at a hospital. NAN</span>, <h2>The rising number of people dying from snakebites across the country has heightened the calls for local production of Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) vaccines, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.</h2>, <p>Reports from across major snakebite treatment centres indicate that the incidences of the attacks have continued to rise, with many victims unable to survive.</p>, <p>Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited major snakebite treatment centres in Kaltungo, Gombe State, and Zamko in Langtang, Plateau State, found that the cases had risen with the farming season at its peak.</p>, <p>Worst hit are the farmers who clash with the snakes in the fields as well as nomads that move inside the forests with their cattle.</p>, <p>NAN found that while some patients die in hospitals and specialist snakebite treatment centres, others die in the hands of herbalists.</p>, <p>Others also die at home while trying to manage the situation with relations.</p>, <p>Dr Abubakar Ballah, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Kaltungo Snakebite Treatment and Research Centre, told NAN that an average of 11 patients are received every day.</p>, <p>The situation is the same in Zamko Comprehensive Medical Centre, a medical outpost of Jos University Teaching Hospital, and Bambur Medical Centre, Karim Lamido in Taraba, where even more scary figures are being reported.</p>, <p>Medics at the various centres blamed the rising number of death cases on the lack of ASV required for the treatment of bites from snakes in Nigeria.</p>, <p>Among such snakes are Carpet Vipers, Cobra and Puff Adder.</p>, <p>Dr Nandul Durfa, Managing Director, Echitab Study Group, the firm that supplies ASV drugs to Nigeria, blamed the current acute shortage on the lack of supply.</p>, <p>He told NAN that the drugs are produced in Liver