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Man Bitten by Black Mamba Dies at Hospital that didn’t have Antivenom

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • A 60-year-old man was out picking mangoes when he was bitten by a black mamba.
  • He was rushed to a provincial hospital but they had no antivenom to treat him.
  • As medical staff were preparing to transport him to a larger facility that had antivenom, the man passed away.

A 60-year-old man in Zimbabwe passed away from a black mamba bite after he was taken to a hospital that had no available antivenom.

Peter Dube was a farmer who formerly worked at a newspaper office. Last December, he was out on his orchard picking mangoes when a black mamba struck and bit him.

Dube was then rushed to the Gwanda Provincial Hospital, but they had no available antivenom to treat him there.

The hospital staff prepared to transport him to a larger facility that had antivenom in stock, but it was still approximately 60 miles away. Dube tragically passed away while waiting.

According to his obituary quoted by The Sunday Mail, “He’s survived by his spouse and three sons and his proud family of the Huyabe Clan.”

The black mamba, an extremely venomous species of snake, is among Africa’s most deadly snakes. Its bite has a fatality rate of 100 percent if left untreated.

According to provincial medical officer Dr. Rudo Chikodzore, there is available antivenom in Matabeleland South, where Gwanda is located.

However, “Quantities in the province are usually based on consumption estimates from previous years of the same time to ensure that stock does not expire on us,” he told The Sunday Mail.

Andreas Hougaard Laustsen-Kiel, a professor of Antibody Technologies at the Technical University of Denmark, told Newsweek that the time it takes for a black mamba bite to kill someone depends on the size of the person bitten, where on the body they were bitten, and how much venom was injected.

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“That being said, the venom is very fast acting,” he noted. “And to my understanding it will typically be between a few hours and within a day.”

Despite being deadly, the black mamba is generally shy and avoids people as much as possible. It does not actively hunt humans as prey since we are too big to swallow, says Hougaard Laustsen-Kiel, but it will bite when threatened — such as when a human gets too close, steps on it, or grabs it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), snake bites are among the top Neglected Tropical Diseases. Each year, between 80,000 and 130,000 people die from snake bites. There are even higher figures for those left disabled due to their exposure to poison or toxins from a bite or sting. The most affected countries are in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The WHO aims to cut these figures in half by 2030.  

Source: MSN

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Science

Pregnant Teen Says She’s Carrying Evil Spirit’s Baby

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In a Nutshell:

  • A 19-year-old Colombian woman, claiming to have never been with a man, asserts she was impregnated by an ‘evil spirit’, sparking a spirited debate on social media.
  • Following strange dreams and a sense of supernatural presences, along with her missing periods, a visit to the gynecologist confirmed her pregnancy.
  • Despite some skepticism and accusations of her fabricating the story, there are also supporters who believe her claims, citing they’ve heard similar stories before.

When it comes to tales of the unexpected, this one is surely one for the books.

A 19-year-old woman from Colombia, who says she has never been romantically involved with a man, now insists that her current pregnancy is the work of an ‘evil spirit.’

A supernatural Casanova, if you will.

The Colombian teen has been stirring up all kinds of chatter on Latino social media after she boldly told TV Malambo, a local media outlet, that she’s convinced her pregnancy is a supernatural event.

According to her, she began having strange dreams and experienced eerie presences in her room.

Then suddenly, she stopped having her period, leading her mother to rush her to a gynecologist, who declared her pregnant.

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She made the claim inn a statement that almost reads like a novel.

“I have not been with any man, suddenly I stopped menstruating and my mother took me to the health center for a check-up and there I found out that I got pregnant.”

The young woman accepts that her story is difficult to swallow and confesses that she herself is puzzled about her mysterious pregnancy.

However, this hasn’t stopped the internet from erupting into a spirited (pun intended) debate.

Some skeptics suggest she concocted the story to dodge parental wrath, while others back her claim, swearing they’ve heard of similar instances.

One supporter commented, “She is telling the truth, I have heard of other cases like this. The last thing her father or mother should do is kick her out of the family home.”

It should be noted that in Colombia, teen pregnancies are more common than in most countries worldwide.

But this is definitely not your average teen pregnancy story.

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In fact, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first ‘supernaturally-induced’ pregnancy we’ve heard about.

Just last year, an Indonesian woman claimed she got pregnant after a gust of wind swept through her.

With stories like these, who needs Netflix for entertainment?


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World

The ‘Amazon Jungle Book’: 4 Kids Survive 40-Day Ordeal After Plane Crash [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Four indigenous children, ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years old, were found in the Amazon jungle 40 days after the crash of their small plane.
  • Their survival is hailed as a miracle, and it’s noted that they must have survived on available resources in the jungle.
  • Search efforts involved tracking dogs, the military, and indigenous communities, with footprints believed to belong to one of the children aiding the successful rescue mission.

In a real-life saga that puts any Hollywood survival drama to shame, four indigenous kids, including a baby, made it through a whopping 40 days in the Amazon jungle after their plane crashed.

These extraordinary children, members of the Uitoto Indigenous community and aged from 11 months to 13 years, went from “missing presumed gnawed” to “survivors extraordinaire” in a twist that had Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, lauding them as national heroes.

“They themselves are an example of survival that will go down in history,” Petro declared at a news conference.

“Today, those children are the children of peace and the children of Colombia.”

Their health remains a mystery, with doctors yet to make that call.

“Their health must be frail,” speculated Petro, making us all picture these tykes going full ‘Bear Grylls’ to survive.

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Petro also said, “We need to see into their mental health.”

The children, identified as Lesly, Soleiny, Tien, and baby Cristin, survived when their plane, in an unfortunate game of ‘nose goes,’ buried its snout in the Colombian jungle after an engine failure.

While the wreckage was discovered two weeks later with three unfortunate adult casualties, the quartet was nowhere to be found.

In a plot twist that would have hardened detectives smiling, footprints believed to belong to one of the kids sparked hope they were still alive.

The search continued with tracking dogs, armed forces, and local Indigenous communities, proving once and for all that you should never bet against local knowledge when it comes to jungles.

President Petro took time to credit both the military and the indigenous communities.

“The work between armed forces and Indigenous communities — who obviously know the jungle better than we do — that work was successful,” he said.

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It was a show of unity that makes the phrase “It takes a village” seem a bit inadequate.

In the end, it was the indigenous communities and military who found the kids, marking a happy ending to a tale that will no doubt be remembered as the ‘Miracle of the Amazon.’

Hollywood, are you listening?


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Science

Don’t Try This at Home: YouTuber’s Deadly Jellyfish Soup Stirs the Pot [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ stirred up a controversy by cooking and eating a broth made from Portuguese Man-o-Wars, a marine organism known for its deadly sting, in a video for his over one million subscribers.
  • While the YouTuber reported no ill effects and described the taste as similar to scallops, marine experts strongly cautioned against trying to recreate the risky recipe, due to the potential for remaining toxicity and risk of inhaling poisonous fumes during cooking.
  • Despite having a health professional present during the stunt, homosapi’s video has sparked a debate about responsible content creation, and experts are urging the public to avoid attempting to cook or consume dangerous marine creatures like the Man-o-War.

In what might be the next “do not try this at home” viral sensation, popular Japanese YouTuber ‘homosapi’ has stirred the pot, quite literally, with a marine menace: the Portuguese Man-o-War.

To his over one million subscribers, he served up a video of himself cooking and slurping a broth made from these dangerous dwellers of the deep.

Known for their venomous sting capable of immobilizing or even killing its prey, the Portuguese Man-o-War is not your usual soup du jour.

However, homosapi was not deterred, having been inspired by adventurous eaters who allegedly claimed the venomous creature’s broth was as delectable as the finest delicacy.

Seeking not only the thrill of the culinary dare but also the promise of viral views, homosapi and his friends embarked on a beach trip, hunting for washed-up Man-o-Wars.

Once they’d bagged their jelly-like prizes, the YouTuber proceeded to cook them into a wobbly blob.

He added veggies, sauces, and a suspect pinch of MSG before diving in with a daring taste test.

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His verdict?

It’s somewhat scallop-esque, with no apparent ill effects.

While the YouTuber may have taken the phrase “anything for views” quite literally, marine life experts were quick to condemn the stunt.

Warning the public against recreating this risky recipe, they emphasized that while a boiled Man-o-War might lose some of its toxicity, there’s no guarantee that the potent, protein-based poison is completely neutralized.

Shuhei Ikeda, a jellyfish breeder at the Kamo Aquarium, also highlighted the danger of inhaling toxic fumes during the cooking process, which could result in serious allergies and breathing issues.

In an attempt to counterbalance the wild stunt, homosapi revealed that a health professional was on hand throughout the precarious cooking show.

Nonetheless, the video continues to raise eyebrows and spark debates about responsible content creation.

So, folks, let’s stick to more traditional soup ingredients, shall we?

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Leave the Man-o-Wars to the marine experts, not the daredevil YouTubers.


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