Innovative research into cheaper snake antivenom

WHILE snakes are not everyone’s cup of tea, for Donald Schultz it is imperative that people are educated about them, to keep themselves safe as well as to protect the slithery species.

‘Prevention is better than cure,’ said Schultz.

‘Often people get bitten when trying to catch or kill snakes, and now that I am living in Mduku, gathering firewood and feeding chickens barefoot, I have a better grasp of what works.’

Born and bred in Durban, Schultz spent 16 years abroad, ending up in southern California in the USA working in veterinary emergency and speciality hospitals.

After spending some time in front of the camera filming Venom Hunter and Venom in Vegas, Schultz settled down behind the camera, working on wildlife documentaries.

But there is something more scientific that Schultz is keen on, and that is researching ways to produce snake antivenom that is less costly to manufacture and more widely available.

To that end, Schultz, now back in the land of his birth, set up Snake Pharm, a non-profit organisation aimed at researching antivenom production as well as snake education.

‘Currently, the method for producing antivenom is lengthy and costly, involving extracting venom from the different snake species and injecting it into a large mammal – usually a horse – at intervals over a period of about a year.

‘The animal gradually develops antibodies and blood is then drawn from the animal, placed through a centrifuge and the venom extracted, purified and released onto the market for use.

‘At Snake Pharm, we are researching a better, faster method which would reduce the cost of production and place it in the hands of local people.’

Schultz, who said a shortage of antivenom across Africa is posing major risks to millions of people every day, has an idea of using snake blood instead of horse blood for antivenom production.

He said because non-venomous snakes eat venomous snakes, they develop their own antibodies against the venom.

Harvesting their blood to produce antivenom would shorten, and reduce the cost, of the process.

Research aside, Schultz is keen to pass on his snake knowledge and holds regular snake awareness events around the province.

‘My interest in snakes was aroused at the age of six when I caught a worm snake with my dad and took it to Durban Snake Park.

‘As we were leaving, I saw a rattlesnake which changed my life forever.’

Ironically, some years later,

Schultz was bitten by a rattlesnake and spent four days on a ventilator, with no antivenom for this exotic species.

An as yet untouched aspect of snake bites is the psychological trauma suffered by victims, something Schultz experienced.

‘We would love to explore post-bite counselling.

‘New research shows that snake bite survivors have devastating psychological effects from snake bites, which often go untreated.

‘I suffered from profound depression after my rattlesnake bite.’

While Snake Pharm is still in its infancy, Schultz has big plans for his little non-profit organisation, which serves to educate people about snakes, and provide affordable, effective and widely available antivenom for all snake bite victims.

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