US zoo worker survives bite from extremely venomous rattlesnake

2023-10-23 11:17:25

It’s a miracle. An employee of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (Ohio) was rushed to the city’s hospital after being bitten by an “Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake” late last week, US authorities said this week-end. In this zoo, a “reptile house” is one of the most popular attractions. Emergency services arrived at the scene of the tragedy shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, to find that the woman had been bitten in an “area not accessible to the public” of the zoo, the authorities explained in a statement to local media, including the Cincinnati Enquirer et NBC channel WLWT-TV.

The victim was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center as an emergency, according to the zoo. But his condition was quickly stabilized. The Crotalus adamanteus, by its scientific name, is the largest venomous snake in North America, according to the zoo’s website. The animal institution indicated that the employee did not need antivenom to survive the bite.

This “attack” comes after several incidents of the same type in recent months across the Atlantic. An Amazon delivery woman was found in “very serious condition” after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a home delivery last September. The driver was dropping off a load at a home in Palm City, Fla., when she was attacked by a diamondback rattlesnake, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.

Attack last month in Florida

The “highly venomous” snake was coiled near the front door when the driver went to drop off the package. He then bit her on the back of her leg, just above the knee. The woman “immediately felt the effect of the venom and called for help”. She too was able to be saved. The next day, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed at ABC News that the victim was in stable condition.

This “rattle snake” – in English in the text – is known for its iconic rattle: this snake produces a venom called hemotoxin, which kills red blood cells and can cause tissue damage, selon le Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Thanks to antivenoms and other modern medical techniques, rattlesnake bites are less deadly today than they may have been in the past. Deaths due to such bites remain very rare in the United States.