Snake Bites Can Be Deadly In The Philippines

[earthdome]

Yesterday a young man, third cousin of my wife and his parents were sponsors at our wedding died several days after getting a snake bite. He was a nice young man who had just graduated from a Baguio university with a degree in IT. I had met him several times. He received the snake bite in a remote area of the Cordillera mountains and may have survived if he had been given anti-venom. Unfortunately when he arrived at the hospital the doctors didn't think he had been bitten by a poisonous snake and would not give him the anti-venom even after his arm started swelling up badly.

 

This is just a caution for those of us who visit the province or go into more remote areas of the Philippines that there are poisonous snakes and their bite can be deadly.

 

Here is a link with information about poisonous snakes in the Philippines: http://usaphcapps.amedd.army.mil/HIOShoppingCart/Uploads/DownloadableProds/162_Philippine%20Snake%20Poster04-15-04.pdf

 

Here is a link to first aid instructions for a snake bite: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000031.htm

 

Here is a link to first aid equipment to remove poison from a snake bite: https://sawyer.com/products/extractor-pump-kit/

 

 

[Dave Hounddriver]

would not give him the anti-venom

 

Did they even have it?  In many cases they have to get anti-venom flown in from places like Cebu or Manila, which is ironic as these are the two places you are least likely to need anti-venom.  Not many poisonous snakes roaming the city streets.

[earthdome]

 

would not give him the anti-venom

 

Did they even have it?  In many cases they have to get anti-venom flown in from places like Cebu or Manila, which is ironic as these are the two places you are least likely to need anti-venom.  Not many poisonous snakes roaming the city streets.

 

 

I don't know many details. This was at a hospital in Tuguegarao City in the Cagayan Valley of Northern Luzon. A larger provincial city of over 100k population. All my information is second or third hand since we are back in the USA now.

[Methersgate]

Another example: 

 

Two years ago, my mother in law was taking some merienda to the harvest workers when she was bitten by a cobra. Five miles into Molave sitting on a habal habal only to find that the hospital had no antivenin, so she went to Pagadian by bus and the hospital there had some. 

[prodigal1]

If things work out between my kasintahan and me when I come in September, she wants to move to Baguio City.  Actually the thought of snakes has been in the back of my mind as, like Indiana Jones, I don't care for them too much.  So I was wondering whether there are venomous snakes in and around the Bagio area itself?  Or did that incident happen at a lower elevation where snakes might be more prevalent?   I was mountain biking with my son a couple of years ago in the Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of NC and we saw rattlesnakes everywhere, yikes! 

[mogo51]

Sad and no doubt needless death, as rightly said, people dont die of snakebite in city streets.

[Dave Hounddriver]

So I was wondering whether there are venomous snakes in and around the Bagio area itself? 

 

My experience has been that venomous snakes make themselves scarce in any built up area, Baguio or otherwise, but as soon as you get into the bamboo or mangroves or rice fields or even grassy and marshy areas . .  .. .  they're here!

[earthdome]

 

So I was wondering whether there are venomous snakes in and around the Bagio area itself? 

 

My experience has been that venomous snakes make themselves scarce in any built up area, Baguio or otherwise, but as soon as you get into the bamboo or mangroves or rice fields or even grassy and marshy areas . .  .. .  they're here!

 

 

This did not happen in Baguio which is heavily populated. It happened several hundred kilometers north of Baguio in the Cordillera Mountains. Not sure of the exact location, just that it was very remote.

[prodigal1]

Thanks to all who answered my question.  In hindsight I think my question would have been better posed as:  is there an elevation there at which snakes don't live or are uncommon?  

I'm probably giving too much thought to it.  My kasintahan is in her 50's and told me she's never seen a snake in the wild in her life, city girl, lol.

[Guy F.]

Thanks to all who answered my question.  In hindsight I think my question would have been better posed as:  is there an elevation there at which snakes don't live or are uncommon?  

I'm probably giving too much thought to it.  My kasintahan is in her 50's and told me she's never seen a snake in the wild in her life, city girl, lol.

The OP's first link has habitat details. Most if not all of the venomous snakes have elevation limits.