Noni L. Current Event

Opossums Could Hold the Key to Saving Snake Bite Victims

Publisher: National Geographic

Published: March, 23rd 2015

Noni Lorentzen

Claire Komives,  a professor of chemical engineering at San Jose State University of California, found evidence that the Possums blood can fight of snake bites. As the research went on a team at San Jose State University found a enzyme in the North American marsupial’s blood called peptide. Apparently this was the enzyme that was fighting off snake venom. The team of scientists at the University then went on to test the peptide on mice. They injected the peptide into the mice’s circulatory system and then injected venom. They tested multiple venoms. One of which was the American Diamond Back Rattle snake and another was India’s Russel Viper. "The mice that were given the venom incubated with the peptide never showed any signs [of being sick]," sayed Claire Komives “It was a miracle that this peptide actually had the activity”.  Then, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver Claire Komives presented her findings. Although her research is new scientists have known about this since 1940.  They also knew that other animals like The Ground Squirrel and Honey Badgers also have an immunity to snake venom.

This will really help nations like India where snake bites kill around 46,000 people per year. They could use this peptide to reduce the amount of people dead per year. It could become a local drugstore medicine that people carry with them. It could bring snakebite victims an epipen in words. It could help them till they get to the hospital where they can get the venom pumped out.I feel that this is an improvement to the world. It will bring snake bite victim numbers down by thousands, but although this finding is amazing. What will happen to the Opossum? will its numbers also reduce as fast as the snakebites deaths per year reduce? Because if so then the Possums will go extinct. I think that this has pros and cons that need to be sorted out before the peptide is given out world wide.

Brittel, Jason. “Opossum’s Could Hold the Key to Snake Bite Victims.” National Geographic. National Geographic, 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150323-opossums-snakes-snakebites-venom-health-world-science/>.