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Ifunanya Nwangene died in hospital after being bitten in her Abuja home, raising questions about the availability of effective antivenoms
Snakebites kill one person every five minutes globally – up to 138,000 every year, and leave 400,000 more with permanent disabilities. Many cases and deaths are thought to go unrecorded, particularly where victims seek care from traditional healers rather than hospitals.
Nwangene said she was woken up at about 8.30am by a bite on her wrist from a grey snake. Two snakes were later found in her apartment, one, a medium-sized cobra, in her bedroom.
Nigeria has 29 species of snake, of which 41% are venomous. Shortages of antivenom due to manufacturing problems have been reported across Africa, along with quality concerns about some products.
The first hospital in Abuja that Nwangene went to, there was no antivenom available, according to social media posts by her brother.
She then went to the Federal medical centre (FMC) where she received treatment including polyvalent snake antivenom, but died after what that hospital has described as “severe neurotoxic complications from the snakebite” and a “sudden deterioration”.
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