What is antivenom?
Antivenom, as the name suggests, is used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings.
How is antivenom created?
Snakes and funnelweb spiders are milked for their venom. A small amount of the targeted venom is injected into an animal such as a horse. This generates an immune response to the venom, producing antibodies against the venom's active toxin molecules. These antibodies can then be harvested from the horse's blood and used to treat snake bite victims.
How does antivenom treat victims?
Antivenom is injected into the victim's blood typically via an intravenous infusion. The antibodies in the antivenom circulate in the blood and attach themselves to the toxins preventing them from causing further damage. In other words they neutralise the toxins making them harmless, but they are not able to reverse damage already done. Thus, they should be administered as soon as possible after the snake bite, but are of some benefit as long as venom is present in the body.
What antivenoms are available?
The following antivenoms are more commonly used in animals in Australia:
- Brown snake
- Tiger snake
- Redback spider
- Paralysis tick
There are other human antivenoms that can be used, if required:
- Black snake
- Taipan
- Death adder
- Polyvalent (land snakes)
For a full list of human antivenoms please visit the General section Antivenom page.
Contributed by R. Brooks. Last updated: October 2007
