HOURS after being bitten by one of Africa’s most deadly snakes, an eNseleni farm worker walked out the Emergency Unit at Ngwelezana Hospital with a smile on his face, ready for work.
This because the serpent had just spent its venom on another victim before biting 21 year-old Thokozani Mkhwanazi.
While chopping down gumtree stumps and loading them into a truck on Tuesday afternoon, Thokozani happened to grab the slender, elongated Vine snake.
The highly venomous and potentially fatal grey-brown Thelotornis capensis, commonly known as a Southern vine, Twig or Bird snake bit its fangs into Thokozani’s index finger.
‘I pulled it off my hand, hit it with a stick and went back to work,’ Thokozani said.
‘Fifteen minutes later my finger started bleeding and my boss took me to hospital.’.
Consultant Specialist Emergency Doctor Innocent Nwachukwu said there was no manifestation of neurological disorders and Thokozani’s blood tests returned clear.
‘We dissected the snake only to find a frog and another smaller snake inside the reptile.
‘The snake had had a full meal before he bit into Thokozani’s hand, hence him not being affected as severely as one would expect,’ Dr Nwachukwu said.
Common occurrence
Registered Nurse Khayelihle Zulu said on average, the unit deals with seven snake bite cases per week during the summer, five of which are transfers from other districts.
‘Most cases emanate from the uMkhanyakude District which is generally an extremely rural region, thus people tend to be quite careless,’ Zulu said.
‘Most snakes use the same venom for eating and defending themselves, except Green Mamba’s of course, which is why Thokozani was so fortunate.’
As summer soars and the visibility of snakes increase, residents are encouraged to contact an experienced snake catcher for assistance.
Operating under the uMhlathuze Conservation District Honorary Officers group, contact Denis Botha on 083 6521611.
