Snake bites little girl on chin as she sleeps, then spits venom in mother’s eye temporary blinding her
Mikayla-Sue
Grove, six, woke up with toothache at home on a farm near the town of
Ballito in eastern South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
But when her mum Inge and dad Ludwig came into her room, he realised a snake in there was the real cause of the problem. He ushered out Mikayla-Sue and her sister Izabella. But the cobra then spat its venom into Inge’s eyes, temporarily blinding her.
The
reptile was later identified as a Mozambique spitting cobra, which
spits venom through the tips of its fangs into enemies’ eyes.
Mr Grove told South African media how he then rushed the family to the Alberlito Hospital around 10 or 15 minutes’ drive away.
His blinded wife took a bottle of water with her and continually rinsed her eyes on the journey, which he says probably saved her sight.
Snake expert Arno Naude recounted on a social media page dedicated to
snake attacks that doctors had to put a tube into Mikayla-Sue’s rapidly
swelling throat to allow her to breathe.
Her dad told how medics used 17 doses of an antivenene treatment over the next 12 hours.
Pictures show her severely swollen, with a bite mark on her chin.
Inge’s sight is now restored and her daughter’s life is out of danger though she remains in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
A snake-catching expert was called to the house shortly after the attack, and successfully evicted the snake.
The species, considered among Africa’s most dangerous snakes, is fairly common in the south-east of the continent.
It is known to be easily provoked into its defensive behaviour of rearing up, spreading its hood and spitting its venom up to six feet into a perceived attacker’s eyes.
This article originally appeared in The Sun.
But when her mum Inge and dad Ludwig came into her room, he realised a snake in there was the real cause of the problem. He ushered out Mikayla-Sue and her sister Izabella. But the cobra then spat its venom into Inge’s eyes, temporarily blinding her.
Mr Grove told South African media how he then rushed the family to the Alberlito Hospital around 10 or 15 minutes’ drive away.
His blinded wife took a bottle of water with her and continually rinsed her eyes on the journey, which he says probably saved her sight.
Her dad told how medics used 17 doses of an antivenene treatment over the next 12 hours.
Pictures show her severely swollen, with a bite mark on her chin.
Inge’s sight is now restored and her daughter’s life is out of danger though she remains in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Mikayla is doing much better, the tubes have been removed, she is very responsive and looks around, eyes wide open, said Mr Grove.
Still in ICU, but I think I can safely say she is out of danger. We will know for certain over the next two to three days what the extent of the tissue damage will be.
A snake-catching expert was called to the house shortly after the attack, and successfully evicted the snake.
The species, considered among Africa’s most dangerous snakes, is fairly common in the south-east of the continent.
It is known to be easily provoked into its defensive behaviour of rearing up, spreading its hood and spitting its venom up to six feet into a perceived attacker’s eyes.
This article originally appeared in The Sun.
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