Venomous Snakes Represent a Serious Public Health Problem...

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Researchers around the world are attempting to create a safer and more effective treatment in hopes of saving hundreds of thousands of lives Theres More to That A Smithsonian magazine special report Venomous Snakes Represent a Serious Public Health Problem.

Scientists Are Biting Back With a notable Antidote Researchers around the world are attempting to create a safer and more effective treatment in hopes of saving hundreds of thousands of lives Ari Daniel - Host, “There’s More to That” 9:27 a. Illustration / Images from Paul Starosta via and public domain Snakes bite five million people each year, killing some 125,000 and disfiguring or blinding three times as many. (wild, right?)

Antivenoms aren’t always readily available where the problematic snakes live.

The Details

They also can be deadly themselves, as they could induce life-threatening allergic reactions. Within the last couple years, but, researchers have made substantial progress toward creating safer antivenoms, reducing the chance of anaphylaxis.

Some dream of a universal remedy, but venom is a complex brew, and many of its most dangerous components remain unknown to science. In this episode, host Ari Daniel speaks with journalist Victoria Malloy, who wrote a story for Smithsonian magazine about antivenoms , and researcher Irene Khalek.

Why This Matters

They discuss the danger of snakebites globally, the history of antivenoms and their traditional manufacture, and the various efforts underway to create safer versions. To to “There’s More to That,” and to listen to past episodes about the teeming world of migrating birds, bats and bugs above our heads ; a prehistoric cave that entombed animals for millennia ; and the army of the experts and citizen scientists devoted to protecting native bees , find us on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. Ari Daniel: Neville Wolmarans has been bitten more than 20 times the deadliest snakes on earth.

The scientific community tends to find developments like this significant.

The Bottom Line

Ari Daniel: Neville Wolmarans has been bitten more than 20 times the deadliest snakes on earth. Victoria Malloy: Mambas, cobras, puff adders—a full range of snake species that you could expect in the area where he’s based, in South Africa.

Are you here for this or nah?