African Puff adder
A 27 year old man is in a serious condition after been bitten by a Puff Adder on the Spitkop farm between Kimberly and Petrusburg this morning. It is believed that the man was spraying poison in a field when the Puff Adder struck him on the right leg.
Farmers raced the patient to a clinic in Petrusburg for treatment. Netcare 911 was dispatched to the clinic and worked fervently to stabilise the seriously injured man. Paramedics then transferred the patient to the Netcare Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein for specialised treatment.
Identification of the snake
A) Average length 90 cm
B) Max. length 1,4 meters
C) A short stubby snake with a triangular head distinct from the rest of the body
D) Yellow with distinct backward – pointing chevrons on the back
E) May hiss or puff when disturbed
F) Usually found on the ground and in pathways
G) Very active after sunset
Adder venom is predominantly cytotoxic, meaning that it is responsible for destruction of blood vessels and tissue. Symptoms are localised and often extremely painful, followed by severe swelling as a result of the internal bleeding, and in some case are accompanied with blistering and death of the tissue.
Chris Botha
Netcare 911