This picture shows the shocking way a one-year-old boy’s hand started to swell and turn black after he was bitten by a viper.
The tot had been bitten on the finger while he was on holiday with his mother in Western Siberia, Russia.
The pictures – taken on the way to the Kuzbass Emergency Hospital in the Russian Kemerovo region- show huge swelling and discolouration.
His mother first noticed the bite when her son began to cry and she saw his hand was already turning black.
By the time the boy had arrived at the hospital, the swelling had started to spread to the rest of his arm and chest.
(Ministry of Health of Kuzbass/Newsflash)
Doctors confirmed he had been bitten on a finger by a viper.
Konstantin Sivoronov – head of the department of acute poisoning – confirmed: “Upon admission, the place where the baby had been bitten was clearly visible, there was a pronounced toxic-allergic edema with areas of hemorrhage.”
Doctors provided the child with first aid, prescribed antihistamines, hormonal and blood-thinning drugs and said his survival was touch and go.
But 10 days after the bite, he was well enough to go home.
Viper bites are not unusual in the region and doctors are trained to deal with them, telling Newsflash that on average they get around 50 cases a year as summer starts to arrive and the snakes become more active.
They said this was so far the seventh case this year.
The statement by local authorities obtained by Newsflash added that the woman had been on holiday in the region which is in Western Siberia when her child was bitten.
They said: “Viper venom causes bleeding disorders, which can lead to thrombosis and other life-threatening complications, including respiratory arrest.
(Ministry of Health of Kuzbass/Newsflash)
“When bitten, it is important not to panic and call an ambulance, because the result of treatment directly depends on how quickly arrives.”
Vipers are venomous snakes that are found in most places of the world and are noted for their hinged fans that allow deep penetration for injection of the venom.
It is unclear which type of viper it was that bit the boy.
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Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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