The residents of Kitui County, Kenya, are living in constant fear of venomous snakebites as dangerous snakes increasingly encroach upon their settlements.
With the reduction of forests due to logging and agricultural expansion, coupled with unpredictable climate patterns, snakes are venturing into human territory more frequently.
Anna Kangali, a villager, explains, “When there is heavy rain, floods carry snakes to our homes. During dry spells, snakes descend from the mountains in search of food.”
She adds, “Many chickens have fallen prey to snakes hunting for food, rendering them inedible. Snakes also attack donkeys and cows, and without proper medicine, treating them becomes challenging.
“If snakebite medication could reach our community, it would be a tremendous help. When a donkey dies with a rotten spot, we know it was from a snakebite. Having medication available would save many lives.
“But the impact isn’t limited to livestock. In 2019, Esther, Kangali’s daughter and a mother of five, suffered a severe snakebite while working on the farm.”
Despite being rushed to the nearest health center and then a hospital, both lacked the necessary medication.
She was eventually referred to Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya’s capital, where, tragically, treatment came too late to save her leg. The delayed care also led to cognitive impairment, compounding her suffering.
After four months of treatment and rehabilitation, Esther was discharged, but the ordeal left her family burdened with medical bills totaling $3,000. Fortunately, their local leader intervened, covering the expenses.
Currently, Augustine Wambua, a 41-year-old resident of Kitui, is hospitalized after a puff adder bite sustained while tending his goats in a degraded forest earlier this month. His condition remains uncertain.”
For Wambua and his family, the ordeal is twofold: they are grappling not only with the fear for Wambua’s health but also with the financial burden of the expensive treatment.
“I have spent a lot of money. Every lab test is expensive, and every poison test has to be paid for. Since I was bitten, my lab results consistently show poison.
“Every injection adds to the expense, and now the overall cost is mounting high. My family is under a lot of strain from this sudden incident,” he says.
Wambua doesn’t blame the snake for the encounter. Instead, he feels that he encroached upon the animal’s habitat. To him, the snake was merely defending its territory.
“You can’t fault the snake. It was taking shelter and wasn’t attacking me for my goats, nor did I find it in my goat pen.
“I encountered it in the forest. It’s advisable to grow trees, especially along the fences where we graze our animals, to increase their habitats.
“Especially now that it’s raining, because if those snakes have shelter in the forests, they won’t come near homes for shelter,” he says.
Wambua now encourages people to plant trees to expand habitats for snakes, thereby reducing the likelihood of encounters with humans.
Climate change is reshaping ecosystems worldwide, significantly affecting snakes.
These reptiles rely on external temperatures to regulate their body heat, so climate change profoundly impacts their behavior, physiology, and survival.
“As the human population grows, we are adversely affecting their habitats by destroying forests, leading to snakes entering our homes primarily to seek water or food, which results in conflicts between humans and snakes,” says George Maranga, a senior herpetologist at the Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre (KSRIC).
“We are seeing that climate change is also affecting them significantly. When there is no rain for an extended period, snakes are forced to seek alternative water sources, often leading them to human settlements.
“Conversely, when it rains heavily and floods, the only safe dry areas are sometimes our houses,” Maranga adds.
According to the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) Kenya, about 20,000 people are bitten by snakes annually in Kenya.
Among these cases, an estimated 4,000 result in fatalities, while 7,000 individuals experience paralysis or suffer from various health complications due to snakebites.
The Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre (KSRIC) reports that about 60% of snakebite victims do not seek hospital treatment, opting instead for ineffective traditional methods.
Kenya imports antivenom from Mexico and India, but 50% of the imported antivenoms are ineffective.
Antivenoms are often region-specific, meaning those produced from venoms in one region might not effectively treat snakebites in a different region.
KSRIC, in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, is actively working on developing an antivenom aimed at significantly reducing deaths from snakebites.
This partnership combines local expertise and international research to create effective treatments that can save lives and improve the management of snakebite incidents in affected regions.
Maranga and his colleague, Fredrick Angotte, are equipped with tools and expertise as they undertake the dangerous task of extracting venom from one of Africa’s most venomous snakes, the black mamba.
Their objective is to extract venom necessary for producing the next generation of antivenom for victims of snakebites.
This crucial effort aims to elevate medical interventions and enhance outcomes for individuals affected by venomous snakebites across East Africa.
“We are exploring and advancing what we term as new generational snakebite therapies. Current conventional antivenoms are rather outdated and suffer from certain inherent shortcomings.
“Therefore, by dedicating resources to research and develop these novel snakebite therapies with superior properties compared to existing antivenoms, we aspire to enhance the management and outcomes of snakebite patients,” explains George Omondi, senior research scientist at the Institute of Primate Research and head of KSRIC.
The ongoing research includes immunizing camels, baboons, and cows to stimulate antibody production for future antivenom development.
Its goal is to enhance the efficacy and availability of antivenoms while lowering the number of vials needed per patient and reducing costs. Currently, patients may require up to five vials of antivenom, priced between $69.93 to $104.90.
As the impacts of climate change intensify and snakebite incidents rise, KSRIC is partnering with communities to enhance awareness about snakebite prevention, snake handling, and first aid for victims.
Additionally, they are conducting training sessions for healthcare professionals to ensure proper management of snakebites.
Unfortunately, for many like Ruth Munge, these efforts come too late. In 2020, Ruth’s husband fell victim to a snakebite while they were asleep. Rushed to Mwingi Level 4 Hospital, he was unable to receive the necessary X-ray due to power outages.
With only pain medication available, his condition deteriorated, and he tragically passed away on the fourth day at the age of 43.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Nigerians groan as fresh tomato cost increases over 100% within a year