Abstract
The assessment of the preclinical neutralizing ability of antivenoms in Latin America is necessary to determine their scope of efficacy. This study was aimed at analyzing the neutralizing efficacy of a polyspecific bothropic-crotalic antivenom manufactured by BIRMEX in Mexico against lethal, hemorrhagic, defibrinogenating and in vitro coagulant activities of the venoms of Bothrops jararaca (Brazil), B. atrox (Perú and Colombia), B. diporus (Argentina), B. mattogrossensis (Bolivia), and B. asper (Costa Rica). Standard laboratory tests to determine these activities were used. In agreement with previous studies with bothropic antivenoms in Latin America, a pattern of cross-neutralization of heterologous venoms was observed. However, the antivenom had low neutralizing potency against defibrinogenating effect of the venoms of B. atrox (Colombia) and B. asper (Costa Rica), and failed to neutralize the in vitro coagulant activity of the venom of B. asper (Costa Rica) at the highest antivenom/venom ratio tested. It is concluded that, with the exception of coagulant and defibrinogenating activities of B. asper (Costa Rica) venom, this antivenom neutralizes toxic effects of various Bothrops sp venoms. Future studies are necessary to assess the efficacy of this antivenom against other viperid venoms.
Highlights
The vast majority of snakebite envenomings occurring in Latin America are inflicted by species of the genus Bothrops (Fan & Cardoso, 1995; Warrell, 2004; Gutiérrez, 2010), which are distributed from Southern Mexico to Argentina (Campbell & Lamar, 2004)
Highest neutralization was achieved against the venoms of B. diporus (Argentina) and B. mattogrossensis (Bolivia), both of which were previously classified as B. neuwiedi, whereas the lowest neutralization was against the venom of B. atrox from Peru (Table 1)
For the polyspecific crotaline antivenom produced in Mexico by BIRMEX, the extensive cross-reactivity described for bothropic antivenoms in Latin America (Bogarín et al, 2000; Segura et al, 2010)
Summary
The vast majority of snakebite envenomings occurring in Latin America are inflicted by species of the genus Bothrops (Fan & Cardoso, 1995; Warrell, 2004; Gutiérrez, 2010), which are distributed from Southern Mexico to Argentina (Campbell & Lamar, 2004). Evaluated seven polyspecific antivenoms produced in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Costa Rica against the venoms of five species of Bothrops from different countries (Segura et al, 2010). This and other studies have underscored a widespread pattern of crossneutralization of antivenoms against heterologous Bothrops sp. The present report extends these observations by investigating the preclinical efficacy of an antivenom manufactured in Mexico when confronted with the venoms of species of Bothrops from Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Costa Rica
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
