The Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions

Snakebite is a Neglected Tropical Disease that annually kills 81,000-138000 people residing in some of the world’s most disadvantaged subsistence farming communities, and leaves 400,000 surviving victims with permanent physical disabilities/disfigurements. It is the rural impoverished African and Asian communities, and particularly the most economically important and educationally vulnerable 10-30 year olds, that suffer disproportionally high rates of snakebite mortality and morbidity. Snakebite is therefore both a consequence and cause of tropical poverty.

Throughout the 50-year history of the Centre, its objective has been to conduct a diverse portfolio of research activity to better understand the biology of snake venoms and use this information to improve the efficacy, safety and affordability of antivenom treatment of tropical snakebite victims. The Centre and its staff is led by Director Prof Nicholas Casewell, and Deputy Director Professor Rob Harrison and forms part of the LSTM Department of Tropical Disease Biology and herpetarium hosts the largest and most diverse collection of tropical venomous snakes in the UK to support its research activities.

The combination of the Centre's venomous snakes with its extensive research activity is one of the main messages of our UK-unique ‘Key Topics in Snakebite’ MSc module, and a potent illustration of how UK research benefits human health in the tropics – a message we enthusiastically deliver to fulfill our frequent media requests, and that is central to our many other public engagement activities.

The Herpetarium

The Herpetarium is a UK Home Office accredited and inspected experimental animal facility and is a critical resource for all the activities of the Centre. Our lead herpetologist, Paul Rowley, and his assistant Edouard Crittenden provide specialist care for what is the largest and most diverse collection of venomous snakes in the UK. There is a special emphasis on the African continent with the majority of our snakes being haemotoxic vipers such as Saw-scaled vipers (Echis spp.), Puff adders (Bitis arietans), Gaboon vipers (Bitis gabonica) and neurotoxic elapids such as the Black and Green mambas (Dendroaspis spp.) and several spitting and non-spitting cobras (Naja spp.). Paul Rowley, with the assistance of Rob Harrison and Edouard Crittenden, extracts venom from our snakes at regular intervals and this venom is immediately frozen and subsequently lyophilised and then stored at 4oC. The venom is used for antivenom production, and for our therapeutic and basic science research.

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Education

Education is one of the main activities of the Centre both at LSTM and overseas with our international partners in LMICs. Within the MSc programmes offered by the school the Centre hosts the unique ‘Key Topics in Snakebite’ MSc module.

Over the past four years the herpetarium has welcomed 3,000 visitors including members of the Armed Forces, school and college pupils and undergraduate and post-graduate university students. These tours have had the aim of increasing community awareness as well as educating medical personnel on the importance of snakebite.

As part of our research, we have developed community snakebite education, which is delivered at local village meetings by nurses and community health volunteers. The education includes information on snakebite prevention, first aid measures, and the need to seek urgent medical attention, either using one of our motorcycle ambulances or otherwise. The reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation and maintenance of this health promotion work will be evaluated.

Advocacy and impact

The Centre for Snakebite Research and Intervention and its associated partners are involved within global policymaking and advocacy for snakebite.

To increase the awareness of snakebite the centre and its herpetarium are regularly used by various television networks with the UK and globally such as the BBC, BBC radio, ITV news, TedxTalks, and newspapers.

The research conducted within CSRI has been published extensively in the scientific literature.