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Manufacturing of Snakebite Serum
The
Red Cross Snake Farm produces various types of serum for snakebite
victims, and has so far succeeded in producing 6 types to treat
bites from cobras, king cobras, banded kraits, Russell's vipers,
Malayan pit vipers, and Trimeresurus spp. All of these drugs are
produced in the same way.
1. Antivenin is produced by injecting snake venom into a horse.
The weekly dosage is gradually increased until the horse is able
to produce its own natural antivenin. To ensure that the product
has the required strength, blood is drawn from the horse and tested
at intervals.
2. When the antivenin meets the required strength, a considerable
quantity of blood is drawn from the horse (without causing any harm
to the animal) and preserved in a clean, safe container.
3. The antivenin is purified. By means of sedimentation and sifting,
non-antibody-related proteins (which tend to cause allergy when
administered to patients) are extracted from the compound that has
most direct effect against snake venom.
4. The serum is bottled and dehydrated. This makes it easy to transport
and store for long periods. Normally, when stored at a temperature
of 4-degree Celsius, the serum has a shelf-life of 5 years.
5. To ensure the serum's effectiveness and safety, a final stage
quality control test is conducted on animals under laboratory conditions
in compliance with World Health Organization standards.
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