Lab-made antivenom could end Africa’s crisis

Researchers extract snake venom for analysis before injecting controlled doses into donor animals like sheep, which produce antibodies later harvested and purified into antivenom.

Photo credit: Reuters

On the African continent, snakebites kill thousands every year, mostly farmers, herders and children in rural areas far from hospitals. Many survivors lose limbs or sight after delayed or inadequate treatment.

But a scientific breakthrough could transform this long-ignored crisis.