Anticholinesterases and experimental envenomation by Naja

Abstract Danger from snake bites, especially those of Elapidae, pose a public health problem in a large number of tropical and sub-tropical countries. Since the advent of serotherapy, the mortality rate has decreased, but suitable sera are not always available, explaining the usefulness of developing symptomatic treatments. The present study is a test of the preventative and curative efficacy of anticholinesterases in the treatment of Naja haje haje venom envenomation. It is clearly shown that the early use of these products leads to a considerable increase in the LD 50 in mice having undergone experimental envenomation.