Snake Bite: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Snakebite envenoming is estimated to kill over 100,000 and maim over 400,000 persons every year. It was recognized as a priority neglected tropical disease in 2017. Snakebite is at the intersection of human, animal and environmental health. As such, this important public health issue needs to be addressed through multifaceted strategies.

Many preventive interventions have been proposed, but there is a general lack of controlled studies to confirm their effectiveness. In addition, they need to be tailored to local cultural beliefs and practices. The diagnosis of snakebite envenoming is essentially clinical, but lab tests can be helpful to monitor progression and identify offending snake species. Antivenoms represent the cornerstone of snakebite envenoming treatment. They are bespoke biotherapeutics tailored to the local geographical distribution of venomous snake species. In addition to antivenom therapy, supportive medical and surgical care is essential, as well as the management of mental and physical sequelae.

Novel approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat snakebite are being developed. A rich pipeline of novel products has been built up over the years. However, more research is still needed to translate these investigational products and interventions into readily available evidence-based tools.

The Special Issue welcomes submissions covering interventions to prevent, diagnose and treat snakebite envenoming. Social science research, as well as operational and implementation research, including epidemiological surveys, description of public health programs and more local experiences, are most welcome. Pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating conventional products, as well as investigational products are eligible for submission. Finally, we encourage the submission of reviews, not just original research.

Dr. Julien Potet
Guest Editor

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• snakebite
• envenoming
• antivenoms
• prevention
• diagnosis
• treatment
• tropical medicine
• neglected tropical diseases