A case report of human intoxication due to a snakebite by the opisthoglyphous dipsadid Thamnodynastes lanei Bailey, Thomas & Silva-Jr, 2005

Abstract

Abstract We present a case of human intoxication due to a snakebite by the opisthoglyphous dipsadid Thamnodynastes lanei. A 26-year-old man was bitten on the right hand and was not medicated. Bleeding lasted a few seconds, while paresthesia, chills, and headache persisted for up to 10 hours. The pain disappeared after a week, and the edema, itching, and prickling persisted for another 3 days. Although this patient’s symptoms were typical of bites by South American opisthoglyphous snakes, they persisted longer than those of bites by some congeneric species. Our report adds a species to the list of medically relevant snakes.

Keywords

• Amazonia
• Public health
• Tropical disease