Latest news with #snakebite
ABC News
14 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Inquest told Tristian Frahm likely would have survived snakebite if treated
The mother of an 11-year-old Queensland boy who died from a snakebite wants a full review of her son's case after medical experts told a coronial inquest he would have likely survived if he had been taken to a hospital for treatment. Tristian James Frahm, 11, died at a Murgon property, three hours north of Brisbane, on November 21, 2021. Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard has spent two days in Toowoomba Coroners Court examining the events leading up to Tristian's death and the public awareness of snakebite symptoms and first aid treatments. Forensic pathologist Christopher Day, who performed Tristian's autopsy, told the inquest on Tuesday the cause of death was hypertension, brought on by snake envenomation, which led to blood pooling in his abdomen and cardiac arrest. Dr Day said there was no sign of alcohol in Tristian's blood, despite his father Kerrod Frahm previously telling the inquest he suspected his son may have been intoxicated after possibly taking bourbon cans from an esky. Dr Day said it was possible Tristian did not have an immediate and obvious reaction to the snake bite. "Children are reasonably resilient; they can look reasonably well until something catastrophic happens," he said. The inquest was told on Monday that Tristian was checked for a possible snakebite but there were no obvious signs, and that Mr Frahm said he was not aware of reports his son had been bitten. When asked whether there would have been clear signs of a snakebite, Dr Day said the two puncture marks from a brown snake "would have been present immediately". "The bruising around the [ankle] would not have been apparent immediately, it would have developed over the course of the envenomation," he said. But Mark Little, a Cairns Hospital emergency physician and toxicologist who appeared via video link, told the inquest that a snakebite was usually "insignificant or just a mark" and not always obvious. "Everyone thinks if you've bitten by a snakebite there will be two fang marks," Dr Little said. "We've seen people with no obvious mark or just scratch [and] if the person didn't say 'I got bitten' and pointed where that scratch is, you would think it's just a scratch. "There can also be no symptoms, it can only be a mark or scratch or nothing." Dr Little agreed when asked by counsel assisting the coroner, Sarah Ford, that it could be "plausible" nobody who checked Tristian for possible snakebites could have found anything. Dr Little said Tristian "should have survived" had he been taken to a hospital. "There are very rare cases of intra-abdominal bleeding due to envenom, but as long as it was recognised [in hospital], I would expect him to survive," he said. Associate Professor Katherine Isodardi, the director of clinical toxicology unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, said while "it's not an absolute certain", she would also expect Tristian to have survived if he had reached medical treatment. "You don't usually die from an Australian snakebite, you usually die from sudden collapse and cardiac arrest," Dr Isodardi said. Outside of the court, Tristian's mother, Shanade Zaulich, said she hoped the inquest would provide her family with long-awaited answers after "four long and painful years". "As Tristian's maternal family, we continue to be haunted by basic and deeply troubling questions about the circumstances surrounding his death," Ms Zaulich said. She said she wanted the case to be fully reviewed "and properly investigated". "Four years is too long to wait for answers," she said. Mr Frahm had previously been charged with the manslaughter of Tristian. That charge was dropped by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in April last year. Mr Frahm's lawyer, Andrew Bale, said his client hoped through the inquest, everyone could find space to grieve. "He [Mr Frahm] knows with the benefit of hindsight, of course, he would have taken Tristian to the hospital," Mr Bale said. "Unfortunately none of the symptoms that Tristian was showing were actually clear evidence that he'd [been] bitten by a snake and no-one knew he had. "There was no sign he had [which] is why this is such a tragedy and with the benefit of hindsight, things would have been different."
ABC News
2 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Inquest hears father unaware of 11yo Murgon boy's fatal snakebite
A Queensland father has told a coronial inquest he was not aware his 11-year-old son had been bitten by a brown snake and did not think it was necessary to call emergency services in the hours before he died. Tristian James Frahm, 11, died on or about November 21, 2021, at a Murgon property, three hours north of Brisbane. A coronial inquest into Tristian's death began in Toowoomba on Monday. Coroner Ainslie Kirkegaard will examine the events leading up to Tristian's death and the public awareness of snakebite symptoms and first aid treatments. An autopsy found the boy died from brown snake venom in his system, likely from the snakebite found on his right ankle bone. The inquest heard the boy was discovered in a paddock after falling off a ride-on mower on the afternoon of November 20, 2021. Tristian's father, Kerrod James Frahm, told the inquest on Monday he went to bring his son back from the paddock, where he had found him sitting upright and conscious. Mr Frahm said his son had complained of a sore stomach and feeling sick, but told him nothing about being bitten by a snake. He said Tristian had vomited at least twice in the hours since the mower incident. Mr Frahm said he checked his son for any injuries after he first vomited but could not see any obvious marks, including a snakebite. "I did check him over for scuff marks and stuff," he said. "We were out cutting wood throughout that day, and he had a few scratch marks on his arms as well." Detective Senior Constable Benjamin Van Der Lugt led the investigation into Tristian's death. He told the inquest there was evidence gathered during the investigation that the boy had told someone he had been bitten by a snake. However, he said police were also told that Tristian had been joking about the snakebite. Mr Frahm told the inquest he understood Tristian had earlier in the day "snuck" three cans of bourbon from an esky on the property and likely drunk them. Counsel assisting the coroner Sarah Ford asked Mr Frahm whether he had assumed Tristian's stomach complaints were due to drinking alcohol, to which he agreed. "He just kept saying he had pain in the belly and wanted to lay down," Mr Frahm said. "If I needed to [get medical attention] I would have, I wasn't aware of the snakebite at the time." The inquest heard Mr Frahm had two friends, Jacob Bryant and Rochelle Dorman, staying at the property when his son died. Mr Bryant told the inquest he recalled Mr Frahm being present when it was first suggested Tristian had been bitten by a snake. "We all started searching his legs, myself, Rochelle and Kerrod to see if we could see any signs of a snakebite but there was no evidence," Mr Bryant said. "[We were] looking over his legs and feet for anything that was there, then that's where the conclusion [came from Tristian that he was] intoxicated." Later, Magistrate Kirkegaard asked Ms Dorman whether Mr Frahm was present while she and Mr Bryant checked for any signs of a snakebite. Ms Dorman said Mr Frahm was elsewhere at the time and agreed Mr Bryant's "memory could be distorted". Mr Frahm said he discovered Tristian's body between 7am and 8am on November 21. The inquest heard phone reception was poor at the property and a person would have to travel a few minutes before being able to make a call. Police originally charged Mr Frahm with manslaughter for failing to uphold his duty of care to his son, but the Director of Public Prosecution dropped the charge in April 2024. Tristian's maternal grandmother, Samantha Skerritt, told the inquest her grandson was a "truly remarkable soul". She said he was "wise and kind beyond his years" with a "heart so big it touched everyone around him". "He was our light, our joy, our everything and the love he gave will forever be held in our hearts," Ms Skerritt said. The coronial inquest continues.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Tragic non-verbal autistic boy, 4, dies from curable snake bite after being unable to tell anyone what happened to him
A NON-VERBAL autistic boy, 4, has tragically died from a curable snake bite after being unable to tell anyone what had happened. Italo Alves dos Santos had been playing at his grandma's home in Equador city, Brazil, when a deadly rattlesnake bit his foot. 4 4 4 Despite predictably being in absolute agony, Italo wasn't able to tell his family he was bitten. Instead, the four-year-old could only point to his swollen ankle due to being non-verbal. Italo's worried family feared he had twisted his ankle and took him to the hospital. Medical staffed scheduled an X-ray for the boy the following day - but it was too late. When Italo's condition progressively worsened overnight, his family rushed him to a major hospital a whopping 20 miles away in Santa Luzia, Paraiba state. Medics then immediately recognised the signs of venom poisoning. But tragically Italo was still unable to tell them what had bitten him while he was at his grandma's home. The terrified family searched the house top-to-bottom before finding the rattler under the couch. Medics were then able to begin anti-venom treatment. But Italo was already critically weakened, and tragically died a day later. Championship official forced to shoo SNAKE off the course as it approaches player's ball in incredible scenes Ecuador city hall said in a statement: "We deeply regret the loss of the little Italo and join the pain of their family and friends at this difficult time." The horrific incident comes after a scientist allowed the world's deadliest snakes to bite him over 200 times to help create an "unparalleled" anti-venom. Tim Friede has been injected by snake toxins over 850 times across his 18-year career and once even fell into a coma due to two cobra bites. Snake venom kills up to 140,000 people each year and can leave over 420,000 people needing life altering amputations. The cases remain so high due to their being no universal antivenom against all snakebites. But after nearly two decades of death-defying work, Tim's research may have finally paid off. His antibodies have now been shown to protect against fatal doses from a wide range of dangerous species in recent animal tests. The American initially allowed himself to be bitten to help further his career on YouTube where he handled a range of snakes. He believed it would help him build up an immunity to protect himself when finding some of the world's worst snakes. His bizarre plan once left the former truck mechanic fighting for his life after two Egyptian cobra bites in quick succession left him in a coma for days. Tim told the BBC he "didn't want to die" and so when he awoke and was back to full health he used his second chance at life to help others survive.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NYC man bit by venomous copperhead snake on NJ bike path
A New York man dodged death when he was bit by a venomous snake while bike riding in New Jersey. Dan Geiger was pedaling along the Palisades Cliffs recently when he saw a snake in the middle of the bike path. 'I notice a lot of squashed snakes because snakes go out to the pavement to sun themselves or to gather heat, and I guess they're a target for automobiles,' Geiger told Fox 5. To prevent the animal from getting run over, he stopped to get off his bike and move it with his water bottle. Then disaster struck. 'I nudged it, it didn't, it was very lethargic seeming, and I just sort of nudged again, and I was just like too close, you know, my hand was just too close to its head, I guess, and it just, it struck me with precision and speed,' Geiger told the outlet. Geiger was able to call 911 with the help of two passersby, but he was already feeling the effects of the copperhead's bite. He was taken Hackensack University Medical Center, which has a team that specializes in treating bites from venomous snakes. While copperhead venom isn't usually deadly, it can cause serious symptoms like internal bleeding, swelling and tissue death. Daria Falkowitz, director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at Hackensack University Medical Center, told the station antivenom isn't a miracle cure. 'It just stops things from getting worse and so whatever tissue damage has already occurred prior to receiving it is there,' she said. Photos of the aftermath show Geiger's swollen, discolored right index finger. However, Falkowitz said because the antivenom was administered so quickly, Geiger likely avoided permanent damage. Copperheads are one of the 22 types of snakes native to New Jersey.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
US army spends $1m on anti-snake venom drugs without independent testing
The US army spent nearly $1m (£750,000) last year on anti-snake venom drugs for troops, which evidence suggests may have weak efficacy. The two drugs do not appear to have undergone any independent testing for safety or effectiveness, an investigation has found, despite evidence that the civilian version of one of the drugs tested had weak efficacy. Neither the army nor the government agency that recommended the military drug tested it to verify manufacturer's claims, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) revealed. The drugs are not among those that have been assessed and recommended by the World Health Organization, and because they are not intended for use in the US, they have not been fully assessed by the US Food and Drug Administration. It comes as snakebite – one of the world's deadliest yet most neglected health crises – was formally on the global agenda at the World Health Assembly on Thursday in Geneva. The event, co-hosted by Kenya, Egypt and Costa Rica, was to highlight an issue that kills up to 138,000 people a year and leaves 400,000 more with life-changing injuries, usually in the world's most vulnerable communities, where there is little access to effective antivenom. The drugs are versions of a snakebite antivenom called Polyserp and cost the US army a combined $880,000 last year. One covers Middle Eastern, north African and central Asian regions, and the other covers sub-Saharan Africa – where a TBIJ investigation revealed a 'wild west' of antivenoms that are badly made, marketed and regulated. The company promoting the sub-Saharan version of Polyserp (called Polyserp-P) demonstrates the drug's credentials with studies relating to another drug, Inoserp Pan-Africa. Both drugs are from the same manufacturer. The sub-Saharan version of Inoserp featured in the TBIJ's investigation into useless antivenom, where testing revealed that, compared with its competitors, a vial of Inoserp contained only a fraction of the necessary active ingredient. Test results suggested that more than 70 vials would be needed to treat bites from certain snakes. One Kenyan doctor who has been treating snakebite for more than two decades told the TBIJ that he refuses to use Inoserp. The drug failed in a bid to get WHO approval in 2017. A spokesperson from Inosan Biopharma, which produces both drugs, and Polyserp Therapeutics, which markets Polyserp, said the companies questioned the validity of the testing done by the TBIJ. The spokesperson said: 'Polyserp-P is an updated version of Inoserp with higher potency and expanded indication exclusively produced and approved for distribution to US military customers.' Inosan Biopharma and Polyserp Therapeutics also said that 'Inoserp and Polyserp have proven effectiveness in robust pre-clinical and clinical trials' and that a panel of independent experts reviewed the clinical, preclinical and safety data. Neither company responded to repeated requests to share evidence to back up these claims. Juan Calvete, of the Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, whose laboratory conducts antivenom tests for the WHO, was refused samples of Polyserp-P in 2021. He was told by Polyserp Therapeutics that it was 'only available to US military customers' and was sent three studies that purported to show the 'safety and efficacy' of Polyserp but in fact related to the other drug, Inoserp. Dr David Williams, a snakebite expert at the WHO, said extrapolating data from one product to another 'is not consistent with the WHO guidance'. Only three antivenoms for sub-Saharan Africa carry a WHO recommendation; 10 more are undergoing assessment, of which Inoserp is one. Polyserp has never been assessed by WHO. A US army spokesperson told the TBIJ that the army 'does not conduct independent testing of medical products and does not have a third-party testing for snake antivenom'. Polyserp-P was recommended by the US Defence Health Agency's joint trauma system (JTS) in 2020. The JTS told the TBIJ: 'The recommendations were based off subject matter experts who evaluated peer-reviewed medical literature and the manufacturer's recommendations.'
