Community-based audits of snake envenomations in a resource-challenged setting of Cameroon: case series

BMC Research Notes
Frank-Leonel TianyiArmand Nkwescheu

Abstract

Snakebites are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide with the highest mortality burden in poor rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Inadequate surveillance systems result in loss of morbidity and mortality data in these settings. Although rarely reported in these resource-constraint environments, community-based audits are recognised pivotal tools which could help update existing data and indicate key public health interventions to curb snakebite-related mortality. Herein, we present two cases of snakebite-related deaths in a rural Cameroonian community. The first case was a 3-year-old female who presented at a primary care health centre and was later referred due to absence of antivenom serum (AVS). However, she had an early fatal outcome before getting to the referral hospital. The second case was an 80-year-old traditional healer who got bitten while attempting to kill a snake. He died before hospital presentation. Community-based audits help identify key intervention points to curb snakebite mortality in high-risk rural areas like ours. From our audits, we note a remarkable absence of affordable AVS in rural health facilities in Cameroon. We recommend frequent community health education sessions on preventing sna...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 2, 2019·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Yahaya MusahLars H Holbech
Jul 27, 2020·The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases·Polianna Lemos Moura Moreira AlbuquerqueElizabeth De Francesco Daher

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