RE: Snakes

I thought I would follow-up after the snake incident and let you know about the precautions I’m taking now.

Some people want to know how the snake got into my house.  I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that I have a screen door, as well as a solid wood door, in the front and back of my house.  The wood doors are very sturdy and secure; but the screen doors are somewhat flimsy and the back screen door has a gap between the floor & the bottom of the door.  Snakes are quite flexible and there is more than enough room for them to squeeze through.  But they can only enter when the solid wood door is open – which means I am in the house.  I guess that’s a good thing because they won’t come in the house while I’m gone.  And now when I am at home, I stuff a towel into the screen door gap.  Hopefully that will help.  The Peace Corps nurse also mentioned that I can put a line of ash or kerosene outside the door, and that will prevent snakes from entering.  (Of course, as soon as the wind picks up or it rains, it will be washed away.)

I showed a picture of the snake to some other volunteers, and my friend Alia commented that poisonous snakes have a diamond/triangular shaped head.  So the snake in my house was most likely not poisonous.  And a man who works at my dad’s school (who just happens to be from Uganda) identified the photo as an African Rock Python (non-venomous).  So there’s some reassurance there.

Being that I live on a hospital compound, I decided to go and talk to one of the doctor’s at Kuluva Hospital.  I asked if we kept any anti-venom in stock – he said ‘No, it is gone or expired.’  And Kuluva never restocked it – I guess snakebites are low priority compared to other medical conditions.  The closest place that might have anti-venom is Arua Hospital, but even then it probably won’t be the right type.  

I was in Kampala for a meeting and I asked the Peace Corps nurse if they had anti-venom.  She said yes, but since I’m 8 hours away, it won’t do much good.  She did managed to dig out of storage the very last Snake Bite Kit that they had.  It’s no longer given out to volunteers because snakebites are so rare, but since this was the fourth snake inside my house, the nurse gave it to me.  :)  It’s an extractor to suction out the venom after a bite (also good for bee and scorpion stings).  I’m not sure how effective it is, but I feel better having the kit in my house.