Citation

Chanhome L, Cox MJ, Wilde H, Jintakoon P, Chaiyabutr N, Sitprija V. Mil. Med. 1998; 163(5): 310-317.

Affiliation

Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, Faculty of Medicine and of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9597848

Abstract

Thailand has an abundance of venomous snakes. Among the neurotoxic family Elapidae, there are three species of the genus Naja (cobras), three of the genus Bungarus (kraits), and the king cobra of the genus Ophiophagus. Other Elapidae snakes in Thailand include sea snakes and Asian coral snakes of the genus Calliophis. They have potent venoms but rarely bite humans. Tissue and hemotoxic snakes are represented by family Viperidae, subfamilies Viperinae and Crotalinae. They remain an occupational hazard for farmers and rubber tappers, causing serious morbidity but only rare deaths, since competent treatment is now widely available throughout Thailand. Purified equine antivenin is manufactured locally for the monocled and Siamese spitting cobras (Naja kaouthia and N. siamensis), king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus), most green pit vipers (Trimeresurus sp.), Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma), and the Siamese Russell's viper (Daboia russelli siamensis).

Language: en