Rattlesnake bites, always bad, getting worse
Nobody knows the reason for sure, but rattlesnake bites are getting more painful and potentially lethal. Add that to the increase in bites and you've got a problem.
The UC San Diego Medical Center toxicologists report a rash of "unusually powerful snake bites and unusually extreme patient reactions." Reactions like extreme pain, nausea, diarrhea, and swelling of the mouth and throat that restricts breathing.
This summer the medical school is set to conduct clinical trials for a new anti-venom for rattlesnake bites.
Dr. Richard Clark, director of medical toxicology at the medical school, says the increased toxicity of snake venom may just be nature's way of fighting back against the encroachment of the snakes' turf by humans.
"Perhaps only the strongest survive," Clark said.
-- Tony Perry, in San Diego
Photo of Mojave rattlesnake: Associated Press
