Why is coral-snake antivenin so important?
The coral snake is the most venomous snake native to the United States, and its poison attacks the respiratory system, Jillson said. A bite victim who does not receive treatment can live for up to two weeks with breathing assisted by a ventilator, he said. “It is not a pleasant thing.” On average, it takes five vials of coral-snake antivenin to treat a bite, but it can take as many as 10, at a cost of about $1,600 a vial, to treat a bite victim, Jillson said. In Florida, about 60 coral-snake bites are reported to Poison Control each year, but not all hospitals report bites when they use their own supply of antivenin. Any time antivenin is requested from the Miami-Dade agency, the bite is reported, he said. Even though Seminole County hospitals plan to continue using the outdated antivenin, others will not and there will be more demand in November, Jillson said. And if the antivenin from Mexico isn’t FDA approved by then, it will be used anyway. “Worst-case scenario, we’re going to use
