India, May 7 -- Mysuru researchers offer hope against deadly tissue damage from viper bites, preventing amputations

By S. Kenneth Shishir

Snakebite continues to claim numerous lives in India, with most cases attributed to four species - the cobra, krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper, collectively known as the 'Big Four.'

At present, the only available treatment is Polyvalent Antivenin Therapy, which uses antibodies raised against the venom of these four snakes. However, there is still no effective therapy to treat or prevent the severe tissue damage and skin decay caused particularly by viper bites.

In a significant breakthrough, Prof. K. Kemparaju, Senior Professor at the Department of Studies in Biochemistry, University of M...