News reaching ViewPointNigeria indicates that many children between the age of 7 and 10
are receiving treatment for snake bites at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, JUTH, Zamko, Langtang North
Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The hospital’s medical officer, Dr. Nyam Azi, said that
280 victims were received from November 2016, with
that month accounting for the highest figure of 210.
He added that 25 cases were received in the last three
weeks, but one person died because his case was
presented late, stressing that the children go in
search of rats and get bitten by snakes when they dip
their fingers into rat holes.
He said: “For the adults, the situation was worse during
the harvest season because people went to the farms
without putting on boots and gloves. The hospital is
struggling to cope though the Federal Government had
provided 100 vials of anti-snake venom.
“We get lots of cases and the vials given by
government are not sufficient, during the hot season,
the 100 vials can be exhausted in five days. A vial of
anti-snake venom costs N27,000 and many victims,
who could not afford that amount, usually seek
alternative treatments.
“Some go to native doctors leading to high mortality;
many people just die at home. We have challenged
them to do the economic arithmetic; a rat is not worth
N27,000. It costs just about N50 to N70.
“We have also advised them to stop moving around at
night; where they must, they should use torch lights and
try to avoid snakes’ possible habitats.”
He advised people in affected areas to rear pigs and
ducks because they are sources of biological control of
snakes.
“The two are natural predators that eat snakes and
deplete their population,” he added.

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why snake bites are rampant in Langtang North LG – Dr. Azi