A student described how an adder bite left him feeling “like a zombie from the Walking Dead” and forced him to vomit at a bar.
On August 3, Sol Almond, 20, was on his way to the bar along a wooded road when he walked into the brush to let a vehicle pass and immediately felt a searing pain in his foot.
Later investigation revealed it to be the sole poisonous snake in Britain.
The number of adder sightings in Britain has increased recently, with many of the recognizable zig-zagged snakes being sighted on beaches. However, adder attacks are uncommon.
He began to “sweat buckets” inside the Pembrokeshire bar, felt dizzy, and began to vomit up. Later, his “whole leg” swelled up.
Archived image of an adder
He said that after being stung by an insect, the nurse first believed he was experiencing a panic attack.
He experienced confusion and the “worst fever conceivable” as his leg and lips swelled.
Later, two minute scratch marks where the teeth had penetrated were visible.
When testing revealed that the bite had come from a snake around six hours after it had occurred, he was promptly started on an anti-venom drip.
I believe the delay plus the fact that I first applied ice to the wound—which, as I subsequently learned, tends to cause the venom to concentrate in one area—made everything worse, but I’m now on the mend, said Sol.
After the bite on August 3, Sol was released from the hospital more than two weeks ago, but she was still using crutches until two days ago.
His hospital discharge document indicates that he had a “snake bite” injury and notes that he was treated with “Viperfav,” a medication that blocks the venom of the common European adder, Vipera berus.
Student of sports physiotherapy Sol is hoping that the event won’t have an impact on his ability to play rugby.
I’d say my leg is around 80% better now, so I’m fairly hopeful, he added. “It’s taken me a bit to get all the sensation back in my leg,” he said.
When I tell people that I was bitten by a snake, they are just unable to believe it. Everyone who has seen me on crutches believed that I had twisted my ankle or injured it while playing sports.
We simply aren’t accustomed to hearing about adder bites in this country, I suppose.
According to estimates, there are only 50 to 100 snake bites each year in the UK. However, since the venom of adders is designed to kill tiny animals, deaths are far less common.
The most recent adder bite fatality was in 1975, and there have only been 14 confirmed adder bite fatalities since 1876, according to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.
Although they are not often aggressive, snakes have been known to bite when threatened.
However, there was a significant increase in adder sightings on British beaches at the beginning of this month.
Grassy banks, open heaths, and the sides of pathways are common places to find them.
A distinctive feature of adders is the zigzag pattern on their backs.
Instead of being toxic, they are venomous (insects that bite in order to inject their poisons) (toxins are unloaded when you eat them).