CROSS NEUTRALIZATION OF SOME KINDS OF VIPERS AND SNAKE VENOMS FROM AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST USING VACSERA POLYVALENT VIPER ANTISERA

Authors

1 Department of ANDI Coe in Antivenom Research, CEO of EGYVAC, VACSERA, Dokki

2 Faculty of Biotechnology, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt

Abstract

As the death rate due to snake bites was differ enormously between different countries, the
study conducted was an extensive of neutralization of lethality of two species of genus Naja,
seven species of genus Vipera, and two species of Macrovipera by using VACSERA equine
antisera. The results showed that polyvalent snake venom antisera from VACSERA (which
was prepared by injection of horses by Cerrastes cerastes, and Echis carinatus) was highly
effective in neutralizing specifically to venom used for immunization and para-specifically to
other species including Naja haje, Naja nigricollis, Vipera palastinae, Vipera xanthina, Vipera
ammodytes, Echis coloratus, Cerastes vipera and Pseudoechis beside Macrovipera species
including Macrovipera lebetina obtuse, Macrovipera lebetina turanica. The present
study was established for whether specific or para-specific neutralization exists, its extent
and the potency of para-specific versus specific neutralization within and between each
genus, leading to wide spread of VACSERA Viper antivenom within the different countries.

Keywords