Neutralization of the lethality of the venom of Dendroaspis polylepis (black mamba) in mice by two polyvalent antivenoms used in Kenyan hospitals: Results of a 2009–2011 study

The black mamba is a common snake in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region with a high burden of snakebite envenoming. Differences in the composition and toxicity of the venom of this snake as one moves from one region to another within Sub-Saharan Africa, and the variations in manufacturing protocols by different antivenom producers may result in antivenom products of unknown efficacy. This variability may compromise the management of venomous snakebite in the region including those of the black mamba. Therefore, testing the antidotal efficacy of the antivenoms indicated for black mamba venom is warranted. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of two antivenoms routinely used in some hospitals in Kenya between 2009 and 2011.