Viper. One of the most deadliest snakes in the world. Killed Cleopatra, and thousands of people before and since. Almost as deadly as the krait, and almost as deadly as the yellow scorpion. Condolences to the family. If it's any comfort, there is no antidote. If you get a full shot of the venom, you die. The venom is a neuroparalytic. A very powerful one. The ebola virus of snakebites.

directly on the bite area. That can be carried in a pocket when out walking. Putting a tournequette on the extremity to keep the poison from circulating is also helpful. A shoestring can be a tournequette in an emergency. The worst thing one can do is to run or walk ignoring what has happened. Most snakebites by poisonous snakes are neurotoxic poisons that can be neutralized with a low voltage (30,000 or 50,000 volts) stun gun. Having a razor blade is also handy when out since cutting an X over the snake bite and sucking out the poison from the blood is also effective. I went to elementary school with a boy who had a lot of X cuts on his hands and he said that was from snakebites. He cut an X and sucked out the poison since there were snakes on his parents' property.

\Rivkah, get a life. Normal people do not walk around with stun guns -- which would be ineffective anyway. Do you walk around with a stun gun? Isn't that illegal in the United States? (Don't bother answering; the answer is yes, it is illegal.) Cutting an "x"? Yes, everyone knows. People have done it, and survived. Against rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, water moccasins -- even coral snakes. Their venoms are not neuroparalytic. Rivkah -- PLEASE. When you do not know what you are babbling about, have the decency to shut up. What! No homeopathic and vitamin cures for neurotoxic snake venom? For shame, Rivkah! Better do some homework. You wouldn't want to disappoint us, would you? That would be worse than boring us to tears, which is your usual wont. I'd say you make us laugh with your idiocy, except this is a real issue and someone has died. Do us all a favor, and STFU with your remarkably inane and useless advice.

effects if the snake's venom pouch is empty from biting someone or something else before the bite. The one-steppers and two-stepper poisonous snakes of South East Asia can be neutralized by a low voltage stungun but it has to be applied immediately before taking another step.

Hi. Are you absolutely certain about trying to suck out the venom? After the soldier was bit a few weeks ago in the Negev, I thought I read something from MDA that one shouldn't try to suck out the poison. At the time their instruction on that surprised me. Now I don't know which is correct...I didn't even know that there were vipers and scorpions in Israel to the degree that I've recently about.

The viper bite is only fatal if it isn't treated soon enough. If you are bitten by a snake you must go to hospital right away. You shouldn't linger to await first aid. I've known several people who have been bitten by a viper and all of them have survived because they took the proper action. To minimize danger: don't go barefoot in the evening don't walk in underbrush keep your eyes open Rivkah, that information about a stun gun is pure nonsense. If the poison is in your system a stun gun is useless.

It would make for a better read if the type of snake was specified or at least, hypothesized.

Sarah B. ,have you forgotten to take your medicine this morning ? What a way to react to another person's remarks ? Even if she is incorrect that's still doesn't justify your ugly rant towards her ! Condolences to the man's family !

I believe all of Rivka's (#1) advice is false and may even be malicious.

I have a great idea. Suppose we let a poisonous snake bite you, and see what happens. We'll record everything that ensues faithfully. I know you're all about faith. Please remember to bring your stun gun. In any event.

Wow! Do you walk around with a stun gun, too? How many poisonous snakes have you run into? Take your medicine, and I'm sure that all those cobras and mambas and rattlesnakes will just disappear ..... Still seeing snakes under your bed, eh? Sad. Poor, poor, pathetic and demented you! Take the pretty pills the orderly brought you, and have a nice lie-down. It will all be better once you wake up., Of course it will. There, there.

to his family. Certainly, we have the means to wipe ou these p[oisonous snakes, so that a tragedy like this never happens again.

You really do not know the first thing about dealing with snake bites and are proposing Hollywood solutions rather than helpful ones. 1) Stun gun probably the exact opposite because you want to slow your heart rate to limit the blood flow you get hit with a stungun its going to have you jerking around all over the place creating rapid heartbeat when you need to be slowing dowown your heart rate to limit the speed the poison spreds. 2) Making an X and sucking out the poison sorry doesn't work but could actually damage the body. 3) Tourniquet can work but if you don't know exactly what your doing you could actually do more damage to your body and rather than limiting blood flow you can restrict it to an extent that the limb may need to be amputated. Unless you have just minutes to live you shouldn't consider something like that and the viper which is the most dangerous snake in Israel is the viper and that takes many hours to kill not a matter of minutes. Best thing to do is keep as still as possible and try get hold of emergency services.

When you get bitten you need to slow your heart rate to slow the speed the venom can flow to other parts of your body and to do that you need to be calm and stay as still as possible. Use a stun gun and you cause muscle spasms and your heart beats much faster so you basically increase your chances of the bite killing you. Best stay still as possible and try get emergancy services, the viper which is the most dangerous snake in Israel takes hours to kill a human not minute so just stay calm.

This is from the Mayo Clinic website in the USA: If a snake bites you Remain calm. Immobilize the bitten arm or leg, and stay as quiet as possible to keep the poison from spreading through your body. Remove jewelry before you start to swell. Position yourself, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of your heart. Cleanse the wound, but don't flush it with water, and cover it with a clean, dry dressing. Apply a splint to reduce movement of the affected area, but keep it loose enough so as not to restrict blood flow. Don't use a tourniquet or apply ice. Don't cut the wound or attempt to remove the venom. Don't drink caffeine or alcohol. Don't try to capture the snake, but try to remember its color and shape so you can describe it, which will help in your treatment. Call 911 or seek immediate medical attention, especially if the area changes color, begins to swell or is painful. Mayo Clinic products and services

I would not give out bogus information as a pharmacist for over 40 years, having subscribed to many, many medical newsletters from many physicians who are brilliant and back up their information to their subscribers with references. Yes, carrying stunguns outside of Canada and New York City and a few other places is illegal. It is not illegal where I live and carry one with me when outside of the house as well as pepper spray which is illegal in Canada although a Prime Minister used it to defend himself a few years ago. Almost all weapons in New York City are illegal to make the people defenseless against criminals. It is tazers that are illegal in most States except by police. Tazers are not the same as stunbattery powered electrical stun guns. Yes, a low voltage stun can neutralize a neurotoxin from a snakebite or scorpion if applied to the bite or sting site before it circulate into the blood system. It is unlikely the snake will inject its venom directly into a vein like an intravenous piggyback. It takes a little while for the poison to get into the blood stream. Most of the damage is to the area of the bite, but keeping the poison from circulating in the body is advised if one cannot get to an E.R. quickly. But even if one gets to an E.R. quickly, filling out the paper work and answering inane questions such as, Are there weapons in your home? will delay treatment until most patients die or the damage is very severe. That's after you wait four hours to get to the paperwork stage after all the illegals in front of you who get free healthcare at E.R.'s since they can't be found to pay a bill. Cutting an X and sucking out the poison has worked for ages. But some city slicker probably advised against that having never been bitten by a rattler himself or herself so they condemned what they had not tried.