Striking Cobra Spitting Fire

Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica pallida) bite in a Kenyan child.

Cross-neutralization of Thai cobra (Naja kaouthia) and spitting cobra (Naja siamensis) venoms by Thai cobra antivenom.

The neutralizing capacity of antivenom prepared against Thai cobra (Naja kaouthia) venom was compared in mice using the homologous venom and that of spitting cobra (Naja siamensis). The amounts of antivenoms neutralizing a dose of 4 LD50 of the test venom were determined. Four antivenom preparations were used: three purified antivenoms and a crude antivenom, which were made using N. kaouthia ve...

Ophthalmia Secondary to Cobra Venom Spitting in the Volta Region, Ghana: A Case Report

PURPOSE To report the first case of ophthalmia due to contact with cobra venom in the Volta Region, Ghana. METHODS An ointment containing vitamin A was applied to treat the patient's unilateral defects in the corneal epithelium and the consequent diminished visual acuity. RESULTS Healing of the corneal epithelium and improvement of visual acuity were observed after only 1 day. CONCLUSIONS...

Postsynaptic alpha-neurotoxin gene of the spitting cobra, Naja naja sputatrix: structure, organization, and phylogenetic analysis.

The venom of the spitting cobra, Naja naja sputatrix contains highly potent alpha-neurotoxins (NTXs) in addition to phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and cardiotoxin (CTX). In this study, we report the complete characterization of three genes that are responsible for the synthesis of three isoforms of alpha-NTX in the venom of a single spitting cobra. DNA amplification by long-distance polymerase chain r...

Ophthalmia Due to Spitting Cobra Venom in an Urban Setting - A Report of Three Cases

To describe three presentations of spitting cobra venom induced ophthalmia in urban Singapore. Case notes and photographs of three patients with venom ophthalmia who presented to our clinic between 2007 and 2012 were reviewed. Two patients encountered the spitting cobra while working at a job site while the third patient had caught the snake and caged it. The venom entered the eyes in all 3 cas...