Koh Kong Man Recovering After Viper Bite

Koh Kong: A man was seriously injured by a snake bite on the night of May 1, 2021. He was rushed to see a doctor for emergency intervention.

The victim heard a barking dog and came down from the house to see what was going on when he was bitten by the snake (*appears to be a pit viper- either a Malayan or Russells) . After realizing that the venom had begun to spread into his body, the victim beat the snake to death at the scene and rushed to the emergency room.

He is currently being treated in the emergency room for 72 hours to be followed up by a team of doctors from Koh Kong Provincial Hospital. Dr. Hay Layson, director of Koh Kong Provincial Hospital, said on the afternoon of May 2 that the patient had recovered a lot under the treatment of a doctor who specializes in snake anti-venom.

The director of the provincial hospital advised patients and the general public about the characteristics of pit vipers: “It is a very venomous snake, if it bites, it will cause pain, swelling, rot or sores. Severe to the point of bleeding gums, nose or gastrointestinal bleeding and other serious problems and can be fatal.

Every year during the early rainy season, Koh Kong Provincial Hospital treats many snake bites patients. This indicates that this species of snake is also abundant in Koh Kong province. Most of the snakes nest near the sidewalks, in the shade of trees, in gardens or around the house, and most of them come out during the early rainy season.

When bitten by a snake, immediately- to prevent the snake venom from reaching the heart quickly- do not try to move the limb that was bitten and keep that limb balanced by clinging to hard objects and do not try to use the mouth to suck out the venom. Call for help and rush to the nearest hospital or health center.

To prevent snake bites, be careful when walking in grassy areas, especially at night, use a flashlight and wear boots. On behalf of the Koh Kong Provincial Hospital, I would like to remind all citizens, especially farmers in Sre Chamkar district, to be careful, especially during the early rainy season.” KPT

UPDATE: “herpers” have been complaining that the images are of different snakes- it’s how they appear in the source given above. These ‘helpful’ snake enthusiasts have vocally pointed out that it was a Malayan Pit Viper, not a Russell’s- although in the grand scheme of things, being bitten by either would not be fun.

*CNE did not independently write this article, it was a translation from the given source. For any queries- please contact [email protected]