Tacayo
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Registered: 11-19-2021
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Antivenin
Just wondering if any Nomads have ever taken antivenin to Baja. Last year I never saw a rattler for the month I was camping in southern Baja. Now with
a profusion of new plant growth as a result of the storms that passed through I'm assuming there will be more rodents and the rattlers that eat them.
I have refrigeration but don't know if antivenin is very practical. Any thoughts?
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4x4abc
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Location: La Paz, BCS
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I see a rattler about every 10 years in Baja
and I am in the bushes about 10 times a year
antivenom is not suitable for self administration
better done in a hospital environment
if you are on wheels you are always within some hours to a hospital
Harald Pietschmann
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mtgoat666
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Quote: Originally posted by Tacayo  | | Just wondering if any Nomads have ever taken antivenin to Baja. Last year I never saw a rattler for the month I was camping in southern Baja. Now with
a profusion of new plant growth as a result of the storms that passed through I'm assuming there will be more rodents and the rattlers that eat them.
I have refrigeration but don't know if antivenin is very practical. Any thoughts? |
You can’t afford to buy and store the traditional antivenom…
I know some people in remote locations that keep an antivenom that does not require refrigeration, I forget the name. The drug they told me about is
available in Mexico, but not USA. This particular antivenom was developed in Central America, and appears to work on rattle snakes in SoCal and baja.
talk to a physician that specializes in snake bites. They can point you to some products out there, if you are worried…
Pretty easy to avoid snakes, follow the common sense advice…
Most snake bites occur after someone says “hold my beer…”
[Edited on 11-8-2022 by mtgoat666]
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Maderita
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It is not practical to maintain a personal supply of rattlesnake antivenin. The cost in the USA is several thousand dollars per vial, with numerous
vials required for a snakebite. Purchasing in Mexico is significantly less expensive. The antivenin has an expiration, perhaps 3 years.
The chances of being bitten are extremely unlikely. Death to an adult is rare. Unlike the movies, where death is certain and immediate, the victim
almost always has hours to get to a hospital for treatment. My advice is: Do not go hiking in Hollywood - the snakes there must be exceptionally
poisonous!
Your efforts are better spent by maintaining situational awareness, watching carefully and never stepping or reaching where you cannot see, and
sticking to cleared roads or paths.
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John Harper
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Buy yourself a good pair of snake gaiters if you're that worried.
John
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bajatrailrider
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My amigo got snakebite Erindia very small clinic there. They had antivenin was not big deal.
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
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As a kid we killed several every day in the hot months. Ground squirrels were in huge numbers and therefore snakes. The best council is wear real
shoes or boots and watch where you put your feet. Btw throughout my childhood nobody ever got bitten.... Except for a dog. I've seen exactly 2
rattlesnakes in baja in the last 20 years.... But i avoid walking through brushy areas where i can't see where my foot is going.
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RFClark
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Mood: Delighted with 2024 and looking forward to 2025
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This is probably a more useful thing to carry.
https://www.amazon.com/snake-venom-extractor-kit/s?k=snake+v...
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